Best Actor 1947
In Body and Soul, John Garfield's performance is so intense, so heartfelt, so full of emotion and so utterly true that it's mesmerizing from start to finish. His character is often like a force of nature, but unlike so many later method actors, Garfield underplays the role. I would include it among the 10 greatest film performances by male actors, so I, of course, vote for Garfield here without a second thought.
Runner-up would be William Powell, as delightful playing an uptight figure as he was playing Father's opposite, Nick Charles. A lovely performance with splendid comic timing.
I love wonderful Ronald Colman, but he is uncharacteristically over-the-top in A Double Life, which is also a pretty silly movie. (Kind of the Black Swan of its day.)
Gregory Peck was perfectly cast in Gentleman's Agreement, bringing conviction and a memorable righteous indignation to the role of the liberal journalist appalled by anti-Semitism among "nice people." He doesn't have the kind of highlights to make the performance Oscar-worthy, but his presence grounds the film.
Michael Redgrave gives it the old college try, but he is stymied by the dead weight of Mourning Becomes Electra.
My Own Top 5:
1. John Garfield in Body And Soul
2. Kent Smith in Nora Prentiss
3. Robert Mitchum in Out Of The Past
4. Robert Ryan in Woman On The Beach.
5. William Powell in Life With Father
Edited By Damien on 1299831314
Runner-up would be William Powell, as delightful playing an uptight figure as he was playing Father's opposite, Nick Charles. A lovely performance with splendid comic timing.
I love wonderful Ronald Colman, but he is uncharacteristically over-the-top in A Double Life, which is also a pretty silly movie. (Kind of the Black Swan of its day.)
Gregory Peck was perfectly cast in Gentleman's Agreement, bringing conviction and a memorable righteous indignation to the role of the liberal journalist appalled by anti-Semitism among "nice people." He doesn't have the kind of highlights to make the performance Oscar-worthy, but his presence grounds the film.
Michael Redgrave gives it the old college try, but he is stymied by the dead weight of Mourning Becomes Electra.
My Own Top 5:
1. John Garfield in Body And Soul
2. Kent Smith in Nora Prentiss
3. Robert Mitchum in Out Of The Past
4. Robert Ryan in Woman On The Beach.
5. William Powell in Life With Father
Edited By Damien on 1299831314
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
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Mister Tee
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One of the few times this decade where the nominees didn't offer a very appealing choice.
The choices were out there. My own favorite on the year would be Charlie Chaplin in his masterwork Monsieur Verdoux. By me, he'd deserve Citizen Kane-like actor/director/writer nods (and wins).
I also like Tyrone Power in Nightmare Alley and James Mason in Odd Man Out.
Of those nominated, Michael Redgrave is the least impressive. I'd so looked forward to seeing this legendary actor in such a big role, but found his histrionics, like most of the film, hard to take.
William Powell is William Powell, always enjoyable, but Life with Father is such a lame piece. I was astounded by its shallowness when I first read the play (back during the 30 or so years when it was Broadway's Longest-Running Play), and it doesn't play any better on the screen.
I think I like Ronald Colman better in The Late George Apley that year, in a part that suits him better. Michael Gebert's pointed out that A Double Life is to an extent a mockery of method acting -- the idea that, to really "feel" the part of a killer, you'd have to kill someone -- but if that's your concept, why would you cast an actor whose about as far from method as the screen ever produced? His movie is harmless enough fun, I guess, and I'm sure there was alot of warm feeling in the industry at seeing the long-time vet honored. But by any critical standard the choice is an embarrassment.
Gregory Peck is at one with Gentlemen's Agreement -- both movie and performance are too respectable and well-intentioned to be laughable (the way Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? is), but also lacking in any edge to make its points in a way beyond politeness. And, of course, even just in the area of liberal movie icon, Peck had far better work ahead.
Which brings me, as it did the first two voters, to John Garfield, who's at least in a movie with some bite, one that holds up as somewhat interesting despite dating. I'm reluctant to cast my vote for Garfield here, because there's another instance where I'll be voting for him out of genuine enthusiasm. I hate to offset that with a vote I backed into simply from lack of choice. But I don't feel like abstaining, and this is the choice, so...Garfield it is.
The choices were out there. My own favorite on the year would be Charlie Chaplin in his masterwork Monsieur Verdoux. By me, he'd deserve Citizen Kane-like actor/director/writer nods (and wins).
I also like Tyrone Power in Nightmare Alley and James Mason in Odd Man Out.
Of those nominated, Michael Redgrave is the least impressive. I'd so looked forward to seeing this legendary actor in such a big role, but found his histrionics, like most of the film, hard to take.
William Powell is William Powell, always enjoyable, but Life with Father is such a lame piece. I was astounded by its shallowness when I first read the play (back during the 30 or so years when it was Broadway's Longest-Running Play), and it doesn't play any better on the screen.
I think I like Ronald Colman better in The Late George Apley that year, in a part that suits him better. Michael Gebert's pointed out that A Double Life is to an extent a mockery of method acting -- the idea that, to really "feel" the part of a killer, you'd have to kill someone -- but if that's your concept, why would you cast an actor whose about as far from method as the screen ever produced? His movie is harmless enough fun, I guess, and I'm sure there was alot of warm feeling in the industry at seeing the long-time vet honored. But by any critical standard the choice is an embarrassment.
Gregory Peck is at one with Gentlemen's Agreement -- both movie and performance are too respectable and well-intentioned to be laughable (the way Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? is), but also lacking in any edge to make its points in a way beyond politeness. And, of course, even just in the area of liberal movie icon, Peck had far better work ahead.
Which brings me, as it did the first two voters, to John Garfield, who's at least in a movie with some bite, one that holds up as somewhat interesting despite dating. I'm reluctant to cast my vote for Garfield here, because there's another instance where I'll be voting for him out of genuine enthusiasm. I hate to offset that with a vote I backed into simply from lack of choice. But I don't feel like abstaining, and this is the choice, so...Garfield it is.
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Big Magilla
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The two best performacnes of 1947 IMO were those of Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past and James Mason in Odd Man Out, neither of whom were nominated.
Instead of Mason we get Michael Redgrave taking up the British actor slot for the disappointing screen version of Mourning Becomes Electra. At least he was better than Rosalind Russell and Katina Paxinou, but that isn't saying much.
Instead of Mitchum's brilliant new take on private eyes we get an old one, William Powell, albeit nominated for the film version of the long-running Broadway play, Life With Father instead of Song of the Thin Man, which was the series' swan song.
While cases could be made for Tyrone Power in Nightmare Alley and Henry Fonda in The Fugitive, I'm OK with both Ronald Colman in A Double Life and Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement, although both have given better performances in other films.
The best of the nominees IMO is John Garfield in Body and Soul, whose performance I'd rank behind Mitchum's and Mason's as the third best of the year. He gets my vote.
Instead of Mason we get Michael Redgrave taking up the British actor slot for the disappointing screen version of Mourning Becomes Electra. At least he was better than Rosalind Russell and Katina Paxinou, but that isn't saying much.
Instead of Mitchum's brilliant new take on private eyes we get an old one, William Powell, albeit nominated for the film version of the long-running Broadway play, Life With Father instead of Song of the Thin Man, which was the series' swan song.
While cases could be made for Tyrone Power in Nightmare Alley and Henry Fonda in The Fugitive, I'm OK with both Ronald Colman in A Double Life and Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement, although both have given better performances in other films.
The best of the nominees IMO is John Garfield in Body and Soul, whose performance I'd rank behind Mitchum's and Mason's as the third best of the year. He gets my vote.