1959 looks like a done deal on the surface. Ben-Hur wins Best Picture and almost sweeps, winning 11 Oscars and winning in every category nominated except for screenplay. How can you argue with that? Ben-Hur is one of the greatest movies ever made, right? Wrong! It's a bloated epic with no real narrative arc. You gave me an almost 4 hour movie and forgot to set up any of the characters or give me a reason to care about them. Then look at the other movies nominated, Anatomy Of A Murder and The Diary Of Anne Frank are perfect films with tight running times and no filler. Then look at some of the movies overlooked, Some Like It Hot, the greatest comedy of all time, Rio Bravo, one of the greatest westerns of all time, North By Northwest, one of Hitchcock's best. Hell, I'll watch Pillow Talk before I sit through Ben-Hur again.
You can see my GABBY winners and nominees HERE
BEST PICTURE
4. The Nun's Story - A Best Actress nomination for Audrey Hepburn? No questions asked. 8 nominations including Best Picture? I'm not sure why this is here. I found it really dull and slow moving but Audrey Hepburn is charming. She plays a nun, she goes on a mission, she has a crisis of faith, she decides to still be a nun. The title is a complete description of the plot.
3. Ben-Hur - What's the first thing you think of when you think about Ben-Hur? The chariot race, right? Can you think of one other moment from this film? I just watched it and I don't know what the hell was going on. Charlton Heston plays Judah Ben-Hur who is a prince turned slave who fights for his freedom against a former friend turned Roman soldier. Also, Jesus is there. Also, this movie is 4 hours long and doesn't need to be. It's a testament to what film making can be. The cinematography, the score, the sets, the costumes, the choreography, the scope. All that stuff is great but I also need a story worth my time investment and this just ain't it. On a technical level this movie is one of the best, on a story telling level it's pretty dull.
2. The Diary Of Anne Frank - If you are unfamiliar with what this movie is about then you really need to be more well read. This is a movie about the holocaust and a collection of Jewish people hiding in a small attic above a spice factory. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl who is growing up through all this hatred. She develops a crush on a boy and the film is a mixture of a coming of age story and a dark holocaust drama. The light moments really make the dramatic moments hit hard. If you're not affected emotionally while watching the film then there is something wrong with you.
1. Anatomy Of A Murder - This is a terrific film. James Stewart plays a small town lawyer who spends most of his time fishing. He is hired by Lee Remick who wants him to defend her husband who has been accused of murdering the man who raped her. His defense is that the murder was justified because of the rape and he has no memory of actually committing the murder. What follows is probably the best courtroom drama of all time. Every scene in this movie is filled with tension and suspense even though the only action is people talking. Stewart, Remick, George C. Scott, Arthur O'Connell and Ben Gazarra all deliver incredible performances. It's a near perfect film.
Ben-Hur is definitely the biggest film of the year and is almost impossible to ignore. Bigger doesn't always mean better though. Watching Ben-Hur is a spectacle for the senses and I'm sure before people could watch movies on television it was like gathering to watch a solar eclipse. This is something that needs to be witnessed. 50 plus years later, I would much rather watch Anatomy Of A Murder or The Diary Of Anne Frank before settling in to watch this bloated epic, not to mention the non-nominated Some Like It Hot, which is the greatest comedy ever made. I'm choosing Anatomy Of A Murder even though Ben-Hur deserved to win because of spectacle and technical achievements. Ben-Hur definitely holds up as a winner. If you watch a montage of Best Picture winners, you see that chariot race and take notice.
Oscar Winner: Ben-Hur
My Vote: Anatomy Of A Murder
GABBY Winner: Some Like It Hot
BEST ACTOR
5. Laurence Harvey - Room At The Top - Harvey plays a guy who really only wants to climb the corporate ladder. He takes a job that doesn't pay that well and dreams of being the guy who sits in a penthouse and lives stress free. He meets a pretty young girl at a play and is instantly smitten, and then is more smitten when he finds that her parents are wealthy industrialists. He's a bit of a cad, he grades women on a scale, sleeps with women without thinking about their emotions and only cares about himself. He's also not very charismatic. It was really hard for me to root for him as the main character because he almost plays him like a villain. The character is self centered and selfish but so was Alfie and he was a character you cared about because you could see a small slither of worth in him. This guy only cares about himself and I don't care about him.
4. Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur - Heston doesn't so much act in this film as he does exist in it. He exists pretty admirably but not in a way where I could say he deserves to be awarded. Heston plays the title character, a slave fighting for his freedom. While watching the movie I kept thinking that a better actor would elevate this standard wounded hero character.
3. Paul Muni - The Last Angry Man - I was unable to find this movie for this blog, luckily I watched it a few years ago on TCM so this is going off my, undoubtedly hazy, memory. Muni plays an old doctor who is set in his ways, he lives in a poor neighborhood and doesn't charge for most of his services because he feels medical help is a right not a privilege. Some TV reporter wants to do a story about him but Muni is an old curmudgeon so he has to be talked into it. I remember enjoying the film and Muni's performance but can't speak to it more than that. I'll place him 3rd just because he's won before and I didn't care for Harvey or Heston.
2. James Stewart - Anatomy Of A Murder - Stewart plays a small town lawyer who takes on a murder case. It's hard to describe why he is so good in this role. The man was just a natural actor, he was so comfortable and compelling on screen. He doesn't do anything really showy with the role he just lives it. The dialogue and the plot is the real star of the movie and Stewart is the perfect embodiment of this lawyer who is not sure if his client is guilty or innocent but he is being paid to defend him so he's going to do his job to the best of his abilities.
1. Jack Lemmon - Some Like It Hot - This is one of the greatest comedic performances of all time in my favorite movie ever made. Two musicians witness a mob massacre and need to hide out so they take a job in an all girls band. There they meet Marilyn Monroe and one of them falls in love with her while an old millionaire falls in love with one of the guys in drag. It has the greatest ending line of all time. Just watch the damn thing. Anyway Lemmon plays one of the musicians, Jerry who assumes the identity of Daphne. When they get to Florida a wealthy old man immediately takes a shining to him. At first he refuses his advances but after a night on the town he becomes infatuated with the notion of being a trophy wife. In lesser hands this character would be a stereotype. If this movie were made today whoever was playing the part would be over the top in their attempts to portray a woman. Lemmon just barely changes the pitch of his voice and you believe that everyone accepts him as a woman just because he's a fantastic actor.
This is one of the worst decisions in this category ever. Yes, Heston carries the film, but he's not good. He's not a good actor, he's almost entirely wooden. Here's how I can prove my point. Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman and Marlon Brando were all offered the part before Heston. Imagine any of those actors playing Judah Ben-Hur, they would have been fine, right? Now imagine Charlton Heston playing Elmer Gantry, Fast Eddie Felson or Stanley Kowalski. That would be horrible, right? Case closed. It's hard to choose between Lemmon and Stewart. Both give incredible performances in 2 very different roles and both are my top 2 favorite actors. Lemmon just won an Oscar 4 years earlier and would go on to win another in 1973. Stewart won in 1940 and it is a little hard to believe that he never won a 2nd. So, historically, if Stewart wins here both Jack and Jimmy have 2 Oscars a piece. Now we get into my thinking behind doing this in the first place. Am I treating this as alternate history where my votes win? Or am I just voting how I would have voted in 1959? Oh, hell, I'm gonna vote Jack Lemmon just because it's my favorite movie and there's no reason why it shouldn't have been nominated for Best Picture, so a vote for Jack is a vote for my favorite movie. The winner is Jack!
Oscar Winner: Charlton Heston
My Vote: Jack Lemmon
GABBY Winner: Jack Lemmon
BEST ACTRESS
5. Simone Signoret - Room At The Top - This is one of those cases where a performance could be considered lead or supporting. Usually when someone is hovering on that thin line they fall in the supporting category but Signoret went lead and won. The movie is about Laurence Harvey climbing the corporate ladder. He starts dating the boss's daughter but also starts romancing Signoret, who is an older married woman. She and her husband both hate each other so she openly cheats on him with Harvey. He's now caught in a love triangle with two women he doesn't really care about. He likes one because she can further his career and he likes the other because she gives him an emotional connection. Signoret is fine in the role but she's only barely the lead, the story is about Harvey. Even though she places 5th with me, I don't have a huge issue with her winning this category as nobody here really deserved a win.
4. Audrey Hepburn - The Nun's Story - Hepburn plays the titular nun. She's good in the role because she's Audrey Hepburn and she's always good. The movie rests entirely on her shoulders and is only enjoyable because she is so charming and has an incredible screen presence. The movie itself is a downright bore though so I would never vote for this. Plus Audrey already won for a better performance and she was nominated for better performances than this.
3. Doris Day - Pillow Talk - This is an incredibly fun romantic comedy. Doris Day and Rock Hudson share a party line in their apartment. I have no idea what that means, I guess there's only one phone line in the whole building so all the tenants have to share. Hudson is always hogging the line by talking to ladies and Day gets upset. He decides to make her even more angry by pretending to be a visitor from Texas and seducing her all the while talking to her on the phone as himself and dropping hints that her new beau is either a cad or secretly gay. It's a funny, silly and wonderful little film. Not something you would normally see nominated in the big categories, like if Kate Hudson got a nod for How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Anyway, Day is her charming and beautiful self and you just want her to fall in love and you want this guy to change and fall in love with her.
2. Katharine Hepburn - Suddenly, Last Summer - This is a Tennessee Williams adaptation which I either really like, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Baby Doll or find rather dull like The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone or this film. This movie is a lot of long scenes and monologues connected to a plot that accumulates into the son was secretly gay and they wanted to keep that a secret. The thing that saves the movie is the performances from Hepburn, Taylor and Montgomery Clift, they are 3 terrific actors and watching them say a lot of dialogue is oddly captivating even if the film doesn't add up to much. Katharine Hepburn is a wealthy woman whose son died while on vacation under mysterious circumstances. Since the vacation her niece, who witnessed the death, has been acting strangely so Hepburn promises a hospital a large donation if they agree to lobotomize the girl. Hepburn really just wants to keep the girl quiet so she doesn't accidentally babble that the boy was gay, that sort of thing being frowned upon in these times. Hepburn delivers a good performance because she is Katharine Hepburn and she is always watchable. This isn't a performance I would normally nominate, but neither are any of the performances in this category so she places at #2 due to weak competition.
1. Elizabeth Taylor - Suddenly, Last Summer - Taylor plays the niece who has been committed and is up for a lobotomy after she watched her cousin's death on vacation. Her aunt wants to go through with the procedure but the doctor wants to interview her and thinks that there might be some therapy that can be an alternate treatment. You know, let's not just jump to cutting out a part of her brain. Taylor does a good job going in between babbling incoherently and uncovering the truth and holds together the final revelation scene in an almost unbroken monologue.
First off, Marilyn Monroe should have been nominated so this decision could be easier. Since she's not here I have to make due with what we have. You gotta love Doris Day but it's not a performance that wins an Oscar so she's out. Then you have the Hepburns who have won already and Taylor cancels out Kate because they were in the same movie. The last woman standing is Simone Signoret so it makes perfect sense that she won. I'm going with Elizabeth Taylor and let me explain why. First off, none of the performances really need to be awarded but going on performance alone I think I liked Liz the most. More importantly, she is going to win next year for a lesser performance and she's going to beat out Shirley MacLaine for The Apartment. If she wins here, there is no way she wins next year. So knowing that there is no way she gets my vote in 1960 I'm voting for her here. Taylor deserves an Oscar more than Signoret and even though I already voted for Liz in 1966, Taylor deserved 2 before Signoret earned 1.
Oscar Winner: Simone Signoret
My Vote: Elizabeth Taylor
GABBY Winner: Marilyn Monroe for Some Like It Hot
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
4. Robert Vaughn - The Young Philadelphians - This movie stars Paul Newman as a young lawyer. I wasn't a huge fan of the film but Robert Vaughn is adequate as an alcoholic who loses his arm in the war and goes on trial for murder. This was one of Vaughn's first roles so it's hard for me to vote for an untested actor, especially in this crowded field. Knowing this was Vaughn's only nomination moves him up a slot in my rankings but he still can't compete with the next three.
3. Arthur O'Connell - Anatomy Of A Murder - O'Connell plays Jimmy Stewart's drunk fishing buddy. He used to be a lawyer but now spends all his time drinking, telling stories and fishing. He's pretty much the comic relief of the film. When Stewart takes on the murder case, O'Connell helps him prepare for the trial and then later on in the movie there is a point where he decides to put down the bottle and focus on the case and he ends up finding a key piece of evidence. It's a nice performance and because he's such a warm and light presence you feel for his character, probably more than any of the others.
2. Ed Wynn - The Diary Of Anne Frank - I grew up knowing Ed Wynn for his sing-song-like voice. He played The Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland and was also Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins, turns out he was a pretty solid dramatic actor as well. He got a Golden Globe nomination for The Great Man in 1958, and he's the best part of that film, and this year he played one of the Jews hiding in an attic from the Nazis. Wynn's character comes in later. They already have a pretty full room but they let Wynn stay with them and he's kind of annoying. He's allergic to Anne Frank's cat which cause him to sneeze a lot, not a great thing to do when you're hiding from Nazis and he has a lot of other annoying habits and he's also a bit rude, but you can tell that he's just a scared good hearted man. Of the entire cast I'm surprised Joseph Schildkraut didn't get nominated as Anne's father but it's really cool that Ed Wynn got an Oscar nomination during his career.
1. George C. Scott - Anatomy Of A Murder - It's hard to say why George C. Scott is so good in this role. He doesn't have a lot to do in the film, he plays the prosecuting attorney who is trying to convict a man for murder. He's been brought in to the case because he's incredibly good at his job and they know he can get the job done. For the first half of his performance he just quietly commands the screen. Stewart is trying to play the jury with courtroom theatrics while Scott just sits there and talks intently but then there are little moments here and there where Scott pounces. You realize that he's a patient lion stalking his prey and when he sees his opportunity he is going to murder you. He's just spellbinding in the role and he takes a part that in lesser hands would not be the least bit memorable and makes him the most compelling part of the movie.
Hugh Griffith wins which only makes sense because Ben-Hur won everything this year. His performance alone can not compare to O'Connell, Wynn and Scott. I can only assume that the Anatomy Of A Murder cast split the vote and a lot of people just voted for Ben-Hur for everything, which explains Heston's win. I want to throw my support to O'Connell as he was the more established actor at the time and Scott would go on to win in 1970. The only reason I'm voting for Scott over everyone else is because he was clearly the best. This was also the only one of his nominations that he didn't refuse so if I'm looking at this as alternate history, what would have happened had he won on his first go-round? We may not have gotten the cool 1970 win where everybody voted for him even when he said, "Don't vote for me. I'm above your stupid little competition."
Oscar Winner: Hugh Griffith
My Vote: George C. Scott
GABBY Winner: Walter Brennan for Rio Bravo
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
You can see my GABBY winners and nominees HERE
BEST PICTURE
5. Room At The Top - This story is about a guy who takes a job in a new town and only wants to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as he can. He starts romancing the boss's daughter to get ahead but also falls for an older woman who he is more emotionally connected to. He doesn't really care about either of them and romances them only when it suits his own self interest. I did not care for this movie. I felt like it was trying to say something about the male psyche, like you don't know what you want even when you have it, but this movie rests on the shoulders of a completely unsympathetic lead. He seems to know exactly what he's doing the whole time and then pays for it, but then seems to be plotting when he doesn't get his way. I was expecting him to turn out to be a serial killer or something, instead he just thinks with his dick and then kinda realizes that women have feelings.
4. The Nun's Story - A Best Actress nomination for Audrey Hepburn? No questions asked. 8 nominations including Best Picture? I'm not sure why this is here. I found it really dull and slow moving but Audrey Hepburn is charming. She plays a nun, she goes on a mission, she has a crisis of faith, she decides to still be a nun. The title is a complete description of the plot.
3. Ben-Hur - What's the first thing you think of when you think about Ben-Hur? The chariot race, right? Can you think of one other moment from this film? I just watched it and I don't know what the hell was going on. Charlton Heston plays Judah Ben-Hur who is a prince turned slave who fights for his freedom against a former friend turned Roman soldier. Also, Jesus is there. Also, this movie is 4 hours long and doesn't need to be. It's a testament to what film making can be. The cinematography, the score, the sets, the costumes, the choreography, the scope. All that stuff is great but I also need a story worth my time investment and this just ain't it. On a technical level this movie is one of the best, on a story telling level it's pretty dull.
2. The Diary Of Anne Frank - If you are unfamiliar with what this movie is about then you really need to be more well read. This is a movie about the holocaust and a collection of Jewish people hiding in a small attic above a spice factory. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl who is growing up through all this hatred. She develops a crush on a boy and the film is a mixture of a coming of age story and a dark holocaust drama. The light moments really make the dramatic moments hit hard. If you're not affected emotionally while watching the film then there is something wrong with you.
1. Anatomy Of A Murder - This is a terrific film. James Stewart plays a small town lawyer who spends most of his time fishing. He is hired by Lee Remick who wants him to defend her husband who has been accused of murdering the man who raped her. His defense is that the murder was justified because of the rape and he has no memory of actually committing the murder. What follows is probably the best courtroom drama of all time. Every scene in this movie is filled with tension and suspense even though the only action is people talking. Stewart, Remick, George C. Scott, Arthur O'Connell and Ben Gazarra all deliver incredible performances. It's a near perfect film.
Ben-Hur is definitely the biggest film of the year and is almost impossible to ignore. Bigger doesn't always mean better though. Watching Ben-Hur is a spectacle for the senses and I'm sure before people could watch movies on television it was like gathering to watch a solar eclipse. This is something that needs to be witnessed. 50 plus years later, I would much rather watch Anatomy Of A Murder or The Diary Of Anne Frank before settling in to watch this bloated epic, not to mention the non-nominated Some Like It Hot, which is the greatest comedy ever made. I'm choosing Anatomy Of A Murder even though Ben-Hur deserved to win because of spectacle and technical achievements. Ben-Hur definitely holds up as a winner. If you watch a montage of Best Picture winners, you see that chariot race and take notice.
Oscar Winner: Ben-Hur
My Vote: Anatomy Of A Murder
GABBY Winner: Some Like It Hot
BEST ACTOR
5. Laurence Harvey - Room At The Top - Harvey plays a guy who really only wants to climb the corporate ladder. He takes a job that doesn't pay that well and dreams of being the guy who sits in a penthouse and lives stress free. He meets a pretty young girl at a play and is instantly smitten, and then is more smitten when he finds that her parents are wealthy industrialists. He's a bit of a cad, he grades women on a scale, sleeps with women without thinking about their emotions and only cares about himself. He's also not very charismatic. It was really hard for me to root for him as the main character because he almost plays him like a villain. The character is self centered and selfish but so was Alfie and he was a character you cared about because you could see a small slither of worth in him. This guy only cares about himself and I don't care about him.
4. Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur - Heston doesn't so much act in this film as he does exist in it. He exists pretty admirably but not in a way where I could say he deserves to be awarded. Heston plays the title character, a slave fighting for his freedom. While watching the movie I kept thinking that a better actor would elevate this standard wounded hero character.
3. Paul Muni - The Last Angry Man - I was unable to find this movie for this blog, luckily I watched it a few years ago on TCM so this is going off my, undoubtedly hazy, memory. Muni plays an old doctor who is set in his ways, he lives in a poor neighborhood and doesn't charge for most of his services because he feels medical help is a right not a privilege. Some TV reporter wants to do a story about him but Muni is an old curmudgeon so he has to be talked into it. I remember enjoying the film and Muni's performance but can't speak to it more than that. I'll place him 3rd just because he's won before and I didn't care for Harvey or Heston.
2. James Stewart - Anatomy Of A Murder - Stewart plays a small town lawyer who takes on a murder case. It's hard to describe why he is so good in this role. The man was just a natural actor, he was so comfortable and compelling on screen. He doesn't do anything really showy with the role he just lives it. The dialogue and the plot is the real star of the movie and Stewart is the perfect embodiment of this lawyer who is not sure if his client is guilty or innocent but he is being paid to defend him so he's going to do his job to the best of his abilities.
1. Jack Lemmon - Some Like It Hot - This is one of the greatest comedic performances of all time in my favorite movie ever made. Two musicians witness a mob massacre and need to hide out so they take a job in an all girls band. There they meet Marilyn Monroe and one of them falls in love with her while an old millionaire falls in love with one of the guys in drag. It has the greatest ending line of all time. Just watch the damn thing. Anyway Lemmon plays one of the musicians, Jerry who assumes the identity of Daphne. When they get to Florida a wealthy old man immediately takes a shining to him. At first he refuses his advances but after a night on the town he becomes infatuated with the notion of being a trophy wife. In lesser hands this character would be a stereotype. If this movie were made today whoever was playing the part would be over the top in their attempts to portray a woman. Lemmon just barely changes the pitch of his voice and you believe that everyone accepts him as a woman just because he's a fantastic actor.
This is one of the worst decisions in this category ever. Yes, Heston carries the film, but he's not good. He's not a good actor, he's almost entirely wooden. Here's how I can prove my point. Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman and Marlon Brando were all offered the part before Heston. Imagine any of those actors playing Judah Ben-Hur, they would have been fine, right? Now imagine Charlton Heston playing Elmer Gantry, Fast Eddie Felson or Stanley Kowalski. That would be horrible, right? Case closed. It's hard to choose between Lemmon and Stewart. Both give incredible performances in 2 very different roles and both are my top 2 favorite actors. Lemmon just won an Oscar 4 years earlier and would go on to win another in 1973. Stewart won in 1940 and it is a little hard to believe that he never won a 2nd. So, historically, if Stewart wins here both Jack and Jimmy have 2 Oscars a piece. Now we get into my thinking behind doing this in the first place. Am I treating this as alternate history where my votes win? Or am I just voting how I would have voted in 1959? Oh, hell, I'm gonna vote Jack Lemmon just because it's my favorite movie and there's no reason why it shouldn't have been nominated for Best Picture, so a vote for Jack is a vote for my favorite movie. The winner is Jack!
Oscar Winner: Charlton Heston
My Vote: Jack Lemmon
GABBY Winner: Jack Lemmon
5. Simone Signoret - Room At The Top - This is one of those cases where a performance could be considered lead or supporting. Usually when someone is hovering on that thin line they fall in the supporting category but Signoret went lead and won. The movie is about Laurence Harvey climbing the corporate ladder. He starts dating the boss's daughter but also starts romancing Signoret, who is an older married woman. She and her husband both hate each other so she openly cheats on him with Harvey. He's now caught in a love triangle with two women he doesn't really care about. He likes one because she can further his career and he likes the other because she gives him an emotional connection. Signoret is fine in the role but she's only barely the lead, the story is about Harvey. Even though she places 5th with me, I don't have a huge issue with her winning this category as nobody here really deserved a win.
4. Audrey Hepburn - The Nun's Story - Hepburn plays the titular nun. She's good in the role because she's Audrey Hepburn and she's always good. The movie rests entirely on her shoulders and is only enjoyable because she is so charming and has an incredible screen presence. The movie itself is a downright bore though so I would never vote for this. Plus Audrey already won for a better performance and she was nominated for better performances than this.
3. Doris Day - Pillow Talk - This is an incredibly fun romantic comedy. Doris Day and Rock Hudson share a party line in their apartment. I have no idea what that means, I guess there's only one phone line in the whole building so all the tenants have to share. Hudson is always hogging the line by talking to ladies and Day gets upset. He decides to make her even more angry by pretending to be a visitor from Texas and seducing her all the while talking to her on the phone as himself and dropping hints that her new beau is either a cad or secretly gay. It's a funny, silly and wonderful little film. Not something you would normally see nominated in the big categories, like if Kate Hudson got a nod for How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Anyway, Day is her charming and beautiful self and you just want her to fall in love and you want this guy to change and fall in love with her.
2. Katharine Hepburn - Suddenly, Last Summer - This is a Tennessee Williams adaptation which I either really like, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Baby Doll or find rather dull like The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone or this film. This movie is a lot of long scenes and monologues connected to a plot that accumulates into the son was secretly gay and they wanted to keep that a secret. The thing that saves the movie is the performances from Hepburn, Taylor and Montgomery Clift, they are 3 terrific actors and watching them say a lot of dialogue is oddly captivating even if the film doesn't add up to much. Katharine Hepburn is a wealthy woman whose son died while on vacation under mysterious circumstances. Since the vacation her niece, who witnessed the death, has been acting strangely so Hepburn promises a hospital a large donation if they agree to lobotomize the girl. Hepburn really just wants to keep the girl quiet so she doesn't accidentally babble that the boy was gay, that sort of thing being frowned upon in these times. Hepburn delivers a good performance because she is Katharine Hepburn and she is always watchable. This isn't a performance I would normally nominate, but neither are any of the performances in this category so she places at #2 due to weak competition.
1. Elizabeth Taylor - Suddenly, Last Summer - Taylor plays the niece who has been committed and is up for a lobotomy after she watched her cousin's death on vacation. Her aunt wants to go through with the procedure but the doctor wants to interview her and thinks that there might be some therapy that can be an alternate treatment. You know, let's not just jump to cutting out a part of her brain. Taylor does a good job going in between babbling incoherently and uncovering the truth and holds together the final revelation scene in an almost unbroken monologue.
First off, Marilyn Monroe should have been nominated so this decision could be easier. Since she's not here I have to make due with what we have. You gotta love Doris Day but it's not a performance that wins an Oscar so she's out. Then you have the Hepburns who have won already and Taylor cancels out Kate because they were in the same movie. The last woman standing is Simone Signoret so it makes perfect sense that she won. I'm going with Elizabeth Taylor and let me explain why. First off, none of the performances really need to be awarded but going on performance alone I think I liked Liz the most. More importantly, she is going to win next year for a lesser performance and she's going to beat out Shirley MacLaine for The Apartment. If she wins here, there is no way she wins next year. So knowing that there is no way she gets my vote in 1960 I'm voting for her here. Taylor deserves an Oscar more than Signoret and even though I already voted for Liz in 1966, Taylor deserved 2 before Signoret earned 1.
My Vote: Elizabeth Taylor
GABBY Winner: Marilyn Monroe for Some Like It Hot
5. Hugh Griffith - Ben-Hur - Sometimes an Oscar legitimizes a stupid nomination. Griffith does next to nothing in the almost 4 hour Ben-Hur but he won an Oscar for it so you assume that he was either great or a substantial role. He's neither. I mean, he's okay, he plays a sheikh who gives Ben-Hur the horses he rides in the chariot race. That's pretty much all he does, he's a larger than life character and provides some comic relief but out of all the supporting performances in the film his isn't one that stands out above the rest. A nomination is fine but a win is out of the question.
4. Robert Vaughn - The Young Philadelphians - This movie stars Paul Newman as a young lawyer. I wasn't a huge fan of the film but Robert Vaughn is adequate as an alcoholic who loses his arm in the war and goes on trial for murder. This was one of Vaughn's first roles so it's hard for me to vote for an untested actor, especially in this crowded field. Knowing this was Vaughn's only nomination moves him up a slot in my rankings but he still can't compete with the next three.
3. Arthur O'Connell - Anatomy Of A Murder - O'Connell plays Jimmy Stewart's drunk fishing buddy. He used to be a lawyer but now spends all his time drinking, telling stories and fishing. He's pretty much the comic relief of the film. When Stewart takes on the murder case, O'Connell helps him prepare for the trial and then later on in the movie there is a point where he decides to put down the bottle and focus on the case and he ends up finding a key piece of evidence. It's a nice performance and because he's such a warm and light presence you feel for his character, probably more than any of the others.
2. Ed Wynn - The Diary Of Anne Frank - I grew up knowing Ed Wynn for his sing-song-like voice. He played The Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland and was also Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins, turns out he was a pretty solid dramatic actor as well. He got a Golden Globe nomination for The Great Man in 1958, and he's the best part of that film, and this year he played one of the Jews hiding in an attic from the Nazis. Wynn's character comes in later. They already have a pretty full room but they let Wynn stay with them and he's kind of annoying. He's allergic to Anne Frank's cat which cause him to sneeze a lot, not a great thing to do when you're hiding from Nazis and he has a lot of other annoying habits and he's also a bit rude, but you can tell that he's just a scared good hearted man. Of the entire cast I'm surprised Joseph Schildkraut didn't get nominated as Anne's father but it's really cool that Ed Wynn got an Oscar nomination during his career.
1. George C. Scott - Anatomy Of A Murder - It's hard to say why George C. Scott is so good in this role. He doesn't have a lot to do in the film, he plays the prosecuting attorney who is trying to convict a man for murder. He's been brought in to the case because he's incredibly good at his job and they know he can get the job done. For the first half of his performance he just quietly commands the screen. Stewart is trying to play the jury with courtroom theatrics while Scott just sits there and talks intently but then there are little moments here and there where Scott pounces. You realize that he's a patient lion stalking his prey and when he sees his opportunity he is going to murder you. He's just spellbinding in the role and he takes a part that in lesser hands would not be the least bit memorable and makes him the most compelling part of the movie.
Hugh Griffith wins which only makes sense because Ben-Hur won everything this year. His performance alone can not compare to O'Connell, Wynn and Scott. I can only assume that the Anatomy Of A Murder cast split the vote and a lot of people just voted for Ben-Hur for everything, which explains Heston's win. I want to throw my support to O'Connell as he was the more established actor at the time and Scott would go on to win in 1970. The only reason I'm voting for Scott over everyone else is because he was clearly the best. This was also the only one of his nominations that he didn't refuse so if I'm looking at this as alternate history, what would have happened had he won on his first go-round? We may not have gotten the cool 1970 win where everybody voted for him even when he said, "Don't vote for me. I'm above your stupid little competition."
Oscar Winner: Hugh Griffith
My Vote: George C. Scott
GABBY Winner: Walter Brennan for Rio Bravo
5. Hermoine Baddely - Room At The Top - I'll admit that I had trouble filling out a top 5 in this category. I went with Kohner, Moore, Winters, Lee Remick in Anatomy Of A Murder and Billie Hayes as Mammy Yokum in Li'l Abner. At least one filler nominee but I would not stoop as low as to nominate a performance that consists of less than 3 minutes of screen time. After watching the film I had to look up who she played. Was she Heather Sears's mother? Was she another actress in the play where Laurence Harvey meets Simone Signoret? Was she just a lady at the bus stop? She plays a music teacher who rents her apartment to Signoret and, like I said, she's in less than 3 minutes of the film. No way should this ever win, or be nominated. Luckily the film was nominated in other categories because I would really hate watching a 2 hour movie just waiting for an old lady to show up for 3 minutes near the end.
4. Thelma Ritter - Pillow Talk - I have always loved Thelma Ritter, she was just a fabulous character actress, usually playing a gruff or no nonsense older lady who gives it to you straight. She was the original vulgar granny. Here she plays a drunk old lady who lives in the same apartment as Day and Hudson. She is always seen stumbling around with a perpetual hangover, drinking her homemade remedies, holding her head in pain or secretly listening in on Rock Hudson sweet talking ladies on the phone. It's a fun role but not meaty enough to win an Oscar. I like the nomination and she deserved a win at this point but her best shot was for Pickup On South Street.
3. Shelley Winters - The Diary Of Anne Frank - Winters is one of the people in the attic with Anne Frank. She is married to a rotund man, Lou Jacobi, who I will always remember as the middle aged transvestite in Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask. She is not letting the fact that she is hiding in an attic stop her optimism of life. She considers herself a respectable woman and only later in the film does she begin to crumble from the pressure. That's what's great about the film, the characters are not portrayed as helpless victims the whole time which humanizes them and makes you feel even more for them when bad things happen. Her big moment in the movie is when she is accused of sneaking extra food for her husband, she justifies this as he is a bigger man so he needs more calories but when she's caught and they want her to leave she has a great scene where she just asks everybody, "Where can we go? Who else would help us?".
2. Susan Kohner - Imitation Of Life - This is a Douglas Sirk melodrama. If you like these types of films, then this is a good one to watch. If you don't like these types of films, I would say be cautious but maybe give it a chance. I usually really dislike these types of movies but I found this one watchable and engaging. This was also Douglas Sirk's last movie, so I guess he finally got it right and went out on top. It's about Lana Turner wanting to become a Broadway actress, but that part of the movie is fairly boring. The good part of the film has to do with Susan Kohner and Juanita Moore, who both got Oscar nominations. Turner meets Moore on the beach one day when her daughter runs off. Moore is a widowed black woman and her daughter is very light skinned and can pass for white. Turner lets the two live with her and Moore is so grateful that she becomes Turner's unpaid housekeeper. When the daughter grows up she is played by Susan Kohner. She resents her mother for being black and wants to keep it a secret and live life as a white woman. I don't really know why the Lana Turner plot takes precedence for most of the film because this subplot is the meatier story line. Kohner is really good in her scenes with Moore, she plays a spoiled brat for most of the movie but then in her final scene breaks down emotionally when her mother comes to visit her one last time.
1. Juanita Moore - Imitation Of Life - Moore plays a black widow who has a light skinned daughter. She takes a job as Lana Turner's housekeeper and her daughter grows up with Turner's white daughter. Her daughter learns that her life is easier if everyone just thinks she's white so she hides the fact that Moore is her mother, like when Moore shows up to her school and she pretends not to know her. Moore is both understanding and realistic with her daughter, telling her not to forget where she came from but seeing the reason why her daughter would want an easier life. Their final scene together near the end of the movie is very effective. The daughter has run away from home and, with the help of a private detective, Moore finds that she is living in California, working as a showgirl under a fake name. She flies out to see her and say goodbye. It's a very touching performance.
Even though Shelley Winters won a 2nd Oscar in 1964 for a better performance, I like that she won here because it gave an acting win to The Diary Of Anne Frank, and since Ed Wynn didn't win, this is a good place to vote for the film and a win for Winters is kind of like a win for the entire ensemble. My two favorite performances though were from Kohner and Moore and I could just blame a vote split and vote for Winters but I'm not going to do that. It's between Kohner and Moore and one is a black woman playing a strong black woman, the other is a white woman playing an interracial woman. Even though Kohner is great I can't in good conscience vote for a white lady playing a black lady so my vote goes to Juanita Moore.
Oscar Winner: Shelley Winters
My Vote: Juanita Moore
GABBY Winner: Juanita Moore
Best Director
William Wyler wins his 3rd Oscar for Ben-Hur, an extremely understandable decision. The chariot race scene alone deserves an Oscar. Problem is, Wyler didn't direct that scene. A crew of second unit people orchestrated all of that. Wyler directed the 3 hours of bullshit leading up to that scene. Billy Wilder made the greatest comedy of all time and George Stevens leaves you emotionally destroyed after watching The Diary Of Anne Frank. Ben-Hur is the biggest movie of the year and to the victors go the spoils I guess.
Best Original Screenplay/Adapted Screenplay
Pillow Talk wins Original, which seems weird but then seems understandable when you look at the category. 2 foreign films were nominated, The 400 Blows and Wild Strawberries, along with another comedy Operation Petticoat and North By Northwest. The latter probably has the better screenplay but with no real heavy hitters in this category, they probably voted for the most enjoyable film. Pillow Talk is also a really funny movie. Room At The Top wins in the adapted category which is a bit ridiculous considering it was up against Anatomy Of A Murder and Some Like It Hot, at least the Ben-Hur sweep didn't extend here.
Best Dramatic Or Comedy Score/Musical Score/Song
Miklos Rozsa's score for Ben-Hur is as big and epic as the film and is a worthy winner. Porgy And Bess wins in the musical category, beating out one of my favorite musicals Li'l Abner. I really don't understand this category as most of the nominees are adaptations of Broadway musicals. How much work had to go into scoring a movie where the music is already written? A Hole In The Head, a movie you've probably never heard of wins Best Song for a song I'm sure you've heard of, High Hopes.
Best Sound Recording
Musicals usually win in this category, unless there's a jolly green giant named Ben-Hur nominated, so Porgy And Bess loses this year.
Best Art Direction - Black And White/Color
Ben-Hur wins in the color category deservedly and The Diary Of Anne Frank takes black and white. For a movie that takes place in one location the movie is incredibly cinematic and a lot of that has to do with the production design.
Best Cinematography - Black And White/Color
Ben-Hur wins in a no contest decision for the color category while The Diary Of Anne Frank takes the black and white category. Again, you almost forget that all the action takes place in one location because of how George Stevens uses the camera.
Best Costume Design - Black And White/Color
Some Like It Hot gets its only Oscar, and deservedly so, for creating the costumes that turned Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis into ladies. Also for that Marilyn Monroe gown that turned me into a man. The togas in Ben-Hur had little competition and the sweep was in, so it earned a win here.
Best Film Editing
Ben-Hur wins again which is fine even though I would have voted for North By Northwest. Sometimes you can't argue with a sure thing.
Best Special Effects
Ben-Hur beats Journey To The Center Of The Earth. The one Ben-Hur win that I can not argue with.
Up Next
2016
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