Alternate Best Actor 1945: Results

5. Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter- Although overshadowed by Celia Johnson Howard still fulfills his part well through his considerable charm and honest chemistry with her.

Best Scene: Alec and Laura declare their love for one another.

4. Cornel Wilde in Leave Her to Heaven- Best his actual nominated work in every way through his endearing work for most of the film and his powerful performance at the end.

Best Scene: His courtroom testimony.

3. James Mason in The Seventh Veil- Although his role is very limited Mason still steals it through his ability to make his character's bitterness something truly palatable.

Best Scene: Nicholas ignores Francesca's marriage plans.

2. Edward G. Robinson in Scarlet Street-Robinson gives a moving depiction of a meek man abused to the point of insanity.

Best Scene: Christopher is haunted in his room.

1. Jean-Louis Barrault in Children of Paradise- Barrault gives a wonderful portrayal of both his character's stage portrayal of a romantic mime, but as well the subtle differences found in the equally romantic and charming but much more flawed real man off the stage.

Best Scene: Baptiste recreates a mugging through a pantomime.

Overall Rank:

1. Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend
2. Jean-Louis Barrault in Children of Paradise 
3. Claude Rains in Caesar and Cleopatra
4. Pierre Brasseur in Children of Paradise 
5. Edward G. Robinson in Scarlet Street
6. James Mason in The Seventh Veil
7. Cornel Wilde in Leave Her to Heaven
8. Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter
9. Aldo Fabrizi in Rome, Open City
10. Denjuro Okochi in The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
11. Marcello Pagliero in Rome, Open City
12. Robert Walker in The Clock
13. Burgess Meredith in The Story of G.I. Joe
14. Robert Montgomery in They Were Expendable
15. John Wayne in They Were Expendable
16. Humphrey Bogart in Conflict
17. Paul Muni in A Song to Remember
18. Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh
19. Tom Neal in Detour
20. Bing Crosby in The Bells of Saint Mary's
21. Cornel Wilde in A Song to Remember
22. Dennis Morgan in Christmas in Connecticut
23. Arturo de Cordova in A Medal for Benny
24. Gregory Peck in Spellbound

Next Year: 1945 Supporting

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Alternate Best Actor 1945: Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter

Trevor Howard did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dr. Alec Harvey in Brief Encounter.

Brief Encounter is beautiful handled film by David Lean about a married woman Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) who is tempted to cheat on her husband by a chance meeting with a stranger at a railroad station.

Trevor Howard would later play another potential man for a wife's infidelity in Lean's later less effective foray into similar subject matter in The Passionate Friends. Howard had a few things against him one being his character was a bit underwritten, as well as he had to create chemistry with the as usual fairly dull Ann Todd. It was not helped either that the film seemed surprisingly interested in the jilted lover and perhaps it helped him even less that he was portrayed by Claude Rains who ran away with that film without a question. This film though there is no Claude Rains to be seen, and instead of Ann Todd we get Celia Johnson. Johnson's performance is an incredible piece of work, and I have to say it is ridiculous she lost to Olivia De Havilland's forgettable work in To Each His Own.

Howard does not utilize his somewhat rough style I know him best for as he plays a gentle married doctor who befriends the housewife. Howard is very sweet and appropriately charming in his performance. Doctor Harvey is an idealist and Howard portrays this in his always enthusiastic and naturally suggests the compassionate side of the doctor particularly well. Dr. Harvey in himself is not an extremely complicated character by himself but Howard plays the part well by making the doctor rather pleasant company to be with so it is is not at all surprising that Laura would find him to be pleasant company as well. It is relatively simple work by Howard but he plays it just right.

A little more though comes from the chemistry Howard and Johnson create in the film. It is fairly interesting in the way they both play the mutually growing attraction and love each have for the other. Howard and Johnson just feel right together as there is such a great ease in the way they interact with one another. Both of them build the romance not on an overwhelming lust for one another, but such a strong affection for one another. When they are together neither of them play it as if they are trying to purposefully even have an affair so to speak, but rather each of them plays it as a powerful affection for the other's presence. They portray a constant empowering joy when together, and honestly create that drive that keeps bringing them together.

Trevor Howard gives a consistently good performance as Dr. Alec Harvey in the film, but it simply is Celia Johnson's film. She not only gets the stronger perspective, but she as well does make a more notable impact with her performance. It is her show from beginning to end, and there is not a moment where Howard comes close to stealing the spotlight from her. That is hardly a problem though in that Howard still fulfills his part quite well. What he must do more than anything is to properly facilitate her performance by creating a believable object of her affections, and to be a man that such a woman would consider forgetting family for. He fulfills this need well, and although he is not the best part of the film he is an essential part of what makes the film great.

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Alternate Best Actor 1945

And the Nominees Were Not:

Jean-Louis Barrault in Children of Paradise

Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter

Cornel Wilde in Leave Her to Heaven 

James Mason in The Seventh Veil

Edward G. Robinson in Scarlet Street

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1970: Results

5. Leonard Frey in The Boys in the Band- Frey, although his voice is a bit theatrical, gives an effective in his portraying his character's sharp cynicism.

Best Scene: Harold cuts Michael down.

4. Donald Sutherland in Kelly's Heroes- Sutherland gives a weird performance but an endearing character as the aptly named Oddball. 

Best Scene: Oddball takes a break from battle.

3. Trevor Howard in Ryan's Daughter- Howard gives a strong performance that deftly mixes in rather coarse qualities with a genuine heart.

Best Scene: Father Hugh talks to Rosy about marriage.

2. Alec Guinness in Scrooge- Guinness has only two scenes but two scenes of brilliance in his dryly comic performance as a ghost.

Best Scene: Marley in Hell.

1. Karl Malden in Patton- Good Predictions JackiBoyz, Maciej, and Kevin. Karl Malden gives a great performance as the unassuming General Omar Bradley by being the perfect foil for George. C. Scott's depiction of the pride filled Patton, and showing that a modest man can still be a complex man.

Best Scene: Bradley openly speaks his mind to Patton.

Overall Rank:

1. Karl Malden in Patton
2. Alec Guinness in Scrooge
3. Trevor Howard in Ryan's Daughter
4. John Mills in Ryan's Daughter
5. Leo McKern in Ryan's Daughter
6. Donald Sutherland in Kelly's Heroes
7. Barry Foster in Ryan's Daughter
8. Don Rickles in Kelly's Heroes
9. Leonard Frey in The Boys in the Band
10. Orson Welles in Catch-22
11. Chief Dan George in Little Big Man
12. Anthony Perkins in Catch-22
13. Robert Duvall in MASH
14. John Marley in Love Story
15. Tom Skeritt in MASH
16. Kenneth More in Scrooge
17. Martin Balsam in Little Big Man
18. Richard S. Catellano in Lovers and Other Strangers
19. Richard Mulligan in Little Big Man
20. Gig Young in Lovers and Other Strangers
21. Bob Newhart in Catch-22
22. Anton Rodgers in Scrooge 
23. Martin Balsam in Catch-22 
24. Henry Fonda in Sometimes a Great Notion 
25. Bob Balaban in Catch-22
26. Rene Auberjonois in MASH
27. Gerald Sim in Ryan's Daughter
28. Charles Grodin in Catch-22
29. Len Lesser in Kelly's Heroes
30. Martin Sheen in Catch-22
31. Ray Milland in Love Story
32. Timothy Dalton in Cromwell
33. Hal Holbrook in The Great White Hope
34. Jon Voight in Catch-22 
35. Peter White in The Boys in the Band
36. Richard Jaeckel in Sometimes a Great Notion
37. Gianni Santuccio in Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
38. Gastone Moschin in The Conformist
39. Art Garfunkel in Catch-22
40. Robert Morley in Cromwell
41. David Collings in Scrooge
42. Carroll O'Connor in Kelly's Heroes 
43. Richard Benjamin in Catch-22 
44. Gary Burghoff in MASH
45. Edward Binns in Patton
46. Cliff Gorman in The Boys in the Band
47. Michael Medwin in Scrooge
48. Laurence Naismith in Scrooge
49. Enzo Tarascio in The Conformist
50. Chester Morris in The Great White Hope
51. Billy Bush in Five Easy Pieces 
52. Michael Bates in Patton
53. Federick Combs in The Boys in the Band 
54. Richard Beaumont in Scrooge
55. Laurence Luckinbill in The Boys in the Band
56. Patrick McDermott in Joe
57. Lawrence Dobkin in Patton
58. Jack Gilford in Catch-22
59. Ralph Waite in Five Easy Pieces 
60. Robert La Tourneaux in The Boys in the Band
61. Cal Bellini in Little Big Man

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1970: Trevor Howard in Ryan's Daughter

Trevor Howard did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Father Hugh Collins in Ryan's Daughter.

Trevor Howard plays the role of the priest of a small Irish village. The role was written for Alec Guinness and it is easy to see him in the role. Guinness turned it down though and Trevor Howard was cast instead. Alec Guinness is not an anagram for genuine class for nothing, Trevor Howard on the other hand name is not an anagram for vow rot harder for nothing either. What I mean by that nonsense is that, while I'm sure Guinness would have been great in the role, Howard's casting offers a rather interesting take on the character of the priest. Howard has a natural roughness to him making him far from a genial man which tend to be the nature of most supportive priest characters.

Howard keeps his usual gruff personality in his portrayal of Father Hugh who does his best to be the moral compass of the village, and basically goes about checking to make sure everything is going as it should be. Howard's performance is a rather effective one because he balances between his natural roughness and the good nature of his character. Howard does not tone down anything about rough side to portray Father Hugh. Howard brings a power to his character through the roughness actually by making him a man who will speak his mind, and speak his mind without reservation either. The way everyone seems slightly weary of Father Hugh is made believable because Howard makes him a force to be reckoned with.

Even though Howard makes Father Hugh gruff he does not forget to convey the morality of the character. Howard actually in part uses the gruffness to add to the righteousness of the man. There is no sense of falseness of his morality because Howard shows that Father Hugh is a character who could never even think of even having the slightest pretension. Howard makes Father Hugh a man who knows what is right and will not hesitate just to speak his mind quickly when he sees someone is at fault. When Father Hugh sees the bad or sometimes rather evil actions of the towns people, Howard is terrific in getting right to the point with his fierce moral indignation that he conveys from the priest.

Howard importantly brings the proper nuance to Father Hugh when he talking to someone he thinks deserves more than a slap in the face. Howard is very warm in his scenes with Sarah Miles as Rosy the titular character. In these scenes Howard is able to convey the importance of his beliefs strongly, and as something more than just a reason to cut sinners down to seize. Howard gives the role the appropriate heart needed whenever the Father tries to talk to Rosy gently about her ideas of romance, or later when he tries his best to mend thing after Rosy has an affair of her marriage with a British soldier. Howard carefully shows that although Father Hugh will condemn when necessary, that there is a large heart behind his somewhat coarse exterior.

It is rather odd that the academy decided to ignore Howard's performance here, but I guess they felt they rewarded the film enough by recognizing John Mills's Oscar winning performance as the village idiot Michael (a performance that I will continue to defend, as I do believe he was the best of the truly supporting performances nominated). The academy though should have also recognized Trevor Howard as well as he very much excels with his performance as Father Hugh Collins. Howard succeeds in giving the local priest that large personality that makes him in a way one of the commanding forces of the island,  but Trevor as well well still brings the right tenderness there should be in a man who wants his congregation to be moral and thrive as they should.

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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1970

And the Nominees Were Not:

Alec Guinness in Scrooge

Donald Sutherland in Kelly's Heroes

Trevor Howard in Ryan's Daughter

Karl Malden in Patton

Leonard Frey in The Boys in the Band

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Alternate Best Actor 1949: Results

5. Trevor Howard in The Passionate Friends- Howard has a limited role, and is overshadowed by a co-star, but he does handle his own role well through his charming performance.

Best Scene: Steven tries to defend his affair.

4. Takashi Shimura in Stray Dog- Shimura creates an effective portrait of a veteran detective effortlessly portraying his character's substantial wisdom, and ability. 

Best Scene: Detective Sato manages a baseball game. 

3. Dennis Price in Kind Hearts and Coronets- Price meets the difficult challenge of finding the right tone for his film through his dry and thoroughly witty performance.

Best Scene: Louis defends himself in court. 

2. James Cagney in White Heat- Cagney plays his most evil role with a great deal of energy and he especially stands out when his character goes over the edge.

Best Scene: Cody finds out that his mother is dead. 

1. Toshiro Mifune in The Quiet Duel- Good Prediction Mark. Toshiro Mifune gives an excellent performance as man who sacrifices his happiness to do the right thing. It is a powerful poignant performance that shows Mifune's ability to excel in both quiet and flamboyant roles.

Best Scene: The doctor finally breaks down. 

Overall Rank:

1. Toshiro Mifune in The Quiet Duel
2. Toshiro Mifune in Stray Dog
3. Kirk Douglas in Champion
4. James Cagney in White Heat
5. Dennis Price in Kind Hearts and Coronets
6. Takashi Shimura in Stray Dog
7. Joseph Cotton in The Third Man 
8. John Wayne in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
9. Montgomery Clift in The Heiress
10. Trevor Howard in The Passionate Friends
11. Van Johnson in Battleground
12. Broderick Crawford in All The King's Men
13. Ronald Reagan in The Hasty Heart
14. John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima
15. Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High
16. Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart
17. Gene Kelly in On the Town
18. Frank Sinatra in On the Town
19. John Ireland in All the King's Men
20. Budd Abbott in Africa Screams
21. Lou Costello in Africa Screams

Next Year: 1949 Supporting

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Alternate Best Actor 1949: Trevor Howard in The Passionate Friends

Trevor Howard did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Professor Steven Stratton in The Passionate Friends.

The Passionate Friends tells the usual story of two lovers who continue their passions far too long in their life without making a proper commitment. It is a well handled version of this story though particularly since it is directed by David Lean.

Trevor Howard portrays the man in the situation to Ann Todd's Mary who is the woman in the situation. Trevor Howard in this performance as Steven has a considerable charm in his portrayal. He and Todd don't have perfect chemistry due to Todd, but Howard is able to override this a bit with his performance. Howard handles this type of role well by not trying to make Steven some sort of rebel personality that entices Mary. Instead Howard honestly just makes Steven just a very charming, and fun loving fellow that makes it easy to see why Mary would be as taken with him as she is. 

Their problems arise at first though because Mary does not want to be married where Steven most certainly wants to be. Howard is quite good in his portrayal of the passion in Steven in this respect. He is genuine in making Steven a bit of a hopeless romantic. This type of character trait could have made Steven either seem dull or a dullard, but Howard's earnestness overcomes any problem that really could be associated with it. Howard makes this overwhelming aspect to Steven's personality work and he succeeds in showing why Mary would be both pulled in by as well as even pulled away with it due to his intensity for these feelings.

Eventually troubles arise as she leaves Steven and marries a wealthy older man Howard (Claude Rains), but they still carry on. Howard properly has that same enthusiasm in his performance to push forward to make the continued affair convincing. Howard's role is fairly straight forward except for a scene where he must more directly confront Mary's husband over the affair. Howard is good in this scene as well, showing the appropriate passion within Steven, and important showing that the love Steven feels is truthful even if not exactly the most well thought out idea either.

At the end of the film Steven moves on to another woman, and Howard plays this effectively though because he does not suggest Steven as a bad man for doing this. Instead he again shows Steven to be a genuine man who really just has a great deal of love to give more than anything else. It not that his current love is false or his past with Ann was false either instead Howard correctly portrays Steven as a true romantic. This is a nicely handled performance by Trevor Howard, even if the role is somewhat simple and there is another performance that you remember far more vividly from this film.

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Alternate Best Actor 1949

And The Nominees Were Not:

Takashi Shimura in Stray Dog

Toshiro Mifune in The Quiet Duel

James Cagney in White Heat

Dennis Price in Kind Hearts and Coronets

Trevor Howard in The Passionate Friends

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