03.05.10 | Brian Sieck | Academy Spotlight, Staff NotesPrint this Post
Tags: Academy Awards
Ah yes, the Academy Awards. Never before has such a noble institution been so incredibly off-base. One can’t help but wonder what amazing film or performance won’t get the recognition it deserves in any of the upcoming ceremonies. After all, throughout Oscar history, it has happened many times. Too often, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has bestowed their golden trophy upon someone who perhaps did not quite deserve the honor over one of their fellow nominees. A few such examples will be illustrated here. Now, in the interest of narrowing down many of the illustrious Academy’s various snubs over the years, I will concentrate solely on acting categories. Additionally, only roles that were actually nominated for the award will have a case made for them. We could be here for days if I were to discuss all the numerous incredible performances throughout the history of filmmaking that weren’t lucky enough to garner an Oscar nomination (John Goodman in The Big Lebowski and R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket are a couple just off the top of my head). Granted, the movie-viewing experience is a subjective one and the majority of Academy voters surely had valid reasons for casting their ballot the way they did. However, I stand by the conviction that these arguments are compelling.
2002 Best Actor: …And the Oscar goes to Adrien Brody for The Pianist instead of Daniel Day-Lewis for Gangs of New York.
OK, The Pianist is a fantastic film. In fact, I appreciated it almost as much as Schindler’s List, as far as comparative subject matter is concerned. Sumptuously photographed, with harrowing performances from the entire cast, the movie focuses on a renowned Jewish pianist (Brody) who must deal with the Nazi invasion of Warsaw. Furthermore, the film’s director, Roman Polanski, is always a controversial figure, and I applaud the Academy for concentrating strictly on the art in granting Brody the trophy (as well as Polanski, himself) instead of taking outside events into consideration. Of course, his elation after winning and his impromptu kiss with presenter Halle Berry was also amazing. Make no mistake, Brody was tremendous in the part, but there just isn’t any way that he was better than Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill “The Butcher” Cutting in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. I have always been astounded by how Day-Lewis can truly become a completely different person through his craft, and this role is no exception. He’s utterly brilliant as Cutting, the vicious villain and leader of, the Natives, the most powerful gang in the Five Points district of New York during the Civil War. Day-Lewis, with his bloodthirsty and coldly detached demeanor, as well as his unique way of speaking totally embodied the spirit of this tumultuous time in American history, and while the Academy may have been a bit gun-shy about rewarding such a performance, he certainly deserved the Oscar.
2000 Best Supporting Actress: …And the Oscar goes to Marcia Gay Harden for Pollock instead of Kate Hudson for Almost Famous.
I don’t have anything against Marcia Gay Harden. She’s very talented, with a long list of fine films on her resume. In her defense, I feel like her part as Lee Krasner, the wife and caretaker of troubled painter Jackson Pollock was somewhat of a thankless one that she managed to pull off rather well. However, let’s face it: It was a pretty straightforward role that in my estimation didn’t really present too many challenges. I almost feel like Harden’s Oscar was just a by-product of some stuffy voters’ love for the material, which in all honesty, I couldn’t appreciate. In fact, I thought Pollock was a bit of a borefest. Now, I’m not going to extol Kate Hudson’s virtues as an amazing actress. Lately, movies such as Fool’s Gold and Bride Wars could make one want to cut their own jugular open. However, there isn’t any denying that Hudson’s performance in Almost Famous as the mercurial Penny Lane (a groupie for a fictional rock band in writer/director Cameron Crowe’s coming-of-age tale, based on his own experiences, that’s a tribute to rock ‘n’ roll and journalism) is both animated and reined in at the proper moments, as well as being simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. Apparently, many others also felt the same way, as pundits in the business had Hudson as the favorite to take the award, which roughly translated, means she was robbed.
1996 Best Supporting Actor: …And the Oscar goes to Cuba Gooding, Jr. for Jerry Maguire instead of William H. Macy for Fargo.
No one should be awarded an Oscar for simply yelling and screaming. It would be a different matter if such bellowing had any real substance behind it, but I can’t escape the feeling that Cuba Gooding, Jr. earned his statue for basically uttering everyone’s favorite catch phrase of the late ‘90s, “Show me the money!” Aside from that, Gooding’s turn as star football player Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire, about finding love in the midst of sports agency, didn’t really offer much. I was frankly stunned by the nomination, let alone Gooding garnering the award. How could William H. Macy not be rewarded with the prize for his portrayal of pathetic, befuddled criminal Jerry Lundegaard, in Joel and Ethan Coen’s Fargo? As an ineffectual man who’s in way over his head trying to pull off the perfect crime, Macy is brilliant, and while his character may not be very likable, it’s near impossible to not almost feel for him. This was one of the bigger travesties in Academy Award history.
1992 Best Supporting Actress: …And the Oscar goes to Marisa Tomei for My Cousin Vinny instead of Judy Davis for Husbands And Wives.
Yes, I know. This one may be a bit controversial, and few people in the world adore Marisa Tomei more than I do. Her recent turns in films such as The Wrestler and Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead speak for themselves. Let’s chalk her Oscar up to a lack of real stiff competition that year. There’s even a long-standing Hollywood rumor that award presenter Jack Palance read the wrong name off the sealed envelope, but that’s just urban legend. However, I have to maintain that while Tomei’s effort as inexperienced lawyer Joe Pesci’s smart and sassy girlfriend in My Cousin Vinny is a fun one (and the film is certainly solid), she essentially grabbed her trophy for speaking in a Brooklyn accent and stomping her feet during a fertility joke, which isn’t quite enough. It’s difficult not to feel more for the unmatched Judy Davis as a fickle, fault-finding virago who seems incapable of nailing down what she really wants in Woody Allen’s thoughtful and entertaining indictment of relationships, Husbands and Wives.
1965 Best Actor: …And the Oscar goes to Lee Marvin for Cat Ballou instead of Rod Steiger for The Pawnbroker.
I jumped back a few years for this one, but it’s a true snub that’s definitely worth mentioning. Sure, Cat Ballou is an enjoyable (though, uneven) western comedy, and Lee Marvin is a gem as gun-for-hire Kid Shelleen (not to mention evil hitman Tim Strawn, that he also played in a duel role). But honestly, Marvin doesn’t even make an appearance as Shelleen until more than thirty minutes into the film. Furthermore, his portrayal as an aging drunk that’s played for slapstick laughs seems pretty elementary, at least when compared to Rod Steiger’s performance in The Pawnbroker. In fact, Steiger was the odds-on favorite that year, so much so, that while the award was being announced he actually started to stand up from his seat before his name was called. This naturally made him look foolish and presumptuous when he didn’t win. However, he wasn’t wrong. Steiger’s depiction of an embittered and isolated Holocaust survivor earning a living as a pawnshop operator in a Harlem ghetto is so properly restrained, yet still astoundingly sad, resentful and distressing that it’s impossible not to get sucked into the character’s world. The fact that this wasn’t an Oscar-winning effort is an American tragedy. Fortunately, the Academy did seem to realize the error of their ways a couple years later and awarded Steiger the Oscar for In The Heat Of The Night, as a consolation.
Agree? Disagree? Have your own favorite Oscar snub? Let us know.
Awesome article! I agree that many can (and probably will) posit their own overlooked faves, but in my case I'll just focus on 1999, which has not one but two big Oscar screwups.
1. Best Picture: AMERICAN BEAUTY.
Not by a long shot. The Insider, The Hurricane, Magnolia, The Sixth Sense, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Boys Don't Cry, Election, The Matrix, Being John Malkovich...do I need to go on? Every one of these is better than AB's pedestrian look at a man's middle age crisis.
2. Best Actor: KEVIN SPACEY, American Beauty.
I like Kevin fine, but Denzel was criminally overlooked for his depiction of Hurricane Carter. Don't think so? OK, how 'bout either Russell Crowe or Al Pacino in The Insider. Or Sean Penn in Sweet and Lowdown. Or Matthew Broderick in Election. Or John Cusack in Being John Malkovich. Hell, even Bruce Willis or (supporting? Oscar winner) Haley Joel Osment deserved it more than Kevin!
IMHO, the two biggest crimes in Academy history were the choices of Judy Holliday for Born Yesterday over Gloria Swanson for Sunset Blvd; and Grace Kelly in The Country Girl over Judy Garland in A Star is Born.
In one year Cate Blanchett made 3-4 movies, won almost every international award for best actress, Elizabeth, Notes on a Scandall,etc. and the Academy overlooked every other opinion and gave best actress to Kate Hudson or someone like that? Duh!
Will they ever get it right?
Apollo 13 should have won in 1995 over Braveheart. Still a film worth watching.
Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves) being denied in favor of Frances McDormand (Fargo) was not right. I love Fran and Fargo, but once she got the "you betcha, yah" down, the role wasn't too challenging, especially compared to Watson's heart-wrenching performance. A second snub would be Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas) being passed over in favor of Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost) in what was a pure popularity vote for Whoopi and her film.
Denzel Washington for Training Day over Russell Crowe in A beautiful Mind was a travesty!
Haley Joel Osment deserved the supporting actor Oscar for SIXTH SENSE. It's a shame that the Academy eliminated the juvenile performer's special Oscar category, as Henry Thomas certainly deserved a statuette for his role in E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL. In my opinion, he was the glue that held that picture together.
I think that Daniel Day-Lewis & Adrien Brody did a wonderful job in the parts. How do you pick one over the other, what a job. I just love the Pianist with Brody, movie was in a very sad time of our lives, but his acting job was just great.. On the other hand Day-Lewis did a wonderful job to. I have seen Daniel Day-Lewis in other films, and he was transformed into a person I did not know. What a great actor
I think they made the right pick, when they gave the Oscar to Marcia Gay Harden. The movie Pollock was a better movie then Almost
Famous, I did not like the film, although Kate Hudson did a good acting job. So it all boils down to a matter of opinion...
I agree 100% with darlene alexander: Marcia Gay Harden was brilliant-er in Pollock than Kate Hudson, who I like, in Almost Famous, which I didn't much care for.
1950: Bette Davis(All About Eve)should have won over Judy Holiday.
1951: Marlon Brando (A Streetcar Named Desire) over Humphrey Bogart.
1953: Deborah Kerr (From Here To Eternity) over Audrey Hepburn.
1954: Judy Garland (A Star is Born) over Grace Kelly.
1964: Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove) over Rex Harrison.
1964: Agnes Moorehead (Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte) over Lila Kedrova.
1973: Barbra Streisand (The Way We Were) or Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist) over Glenda Jackson.
1974: Al Pacino (The Godfather II) over Art Carney
1979: Roy Scheider (All That Jazz) over Dustin Hoffman.
1981: Warren Beatty (Reds) over Henry Fonda.
1981: Susan Sarandon (Atlantic City) or Diane Keaton (Reds) over Katherine Hepburn.
1982: Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie) over Ben Kingsley.
1984: Geraldine Page (The Pope of Greewwich Village) over Peggy Ashcroft.
1986: Sigourney Weaver (Aliens) over Marlee Matlin.
1991: Kate Nelligan (Prine of Tides) over Mercedes Ruehl.
1995: Brad Pitt (12 Monkeys) over Kevin Spacey.
1998: edward Norton (American History X) over Roberto Benigni.
2000: Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) over Julia Roberts.
2005: Matt Dillon (Crash) over George Clooney.
An excellent article; agree about DayLewis and Gangs of NY.No Cary Grant or Alfred Hitchcock oscars and only a very reluctantly one for Scorsese?
Its all politics and "no one knows a damn thing."...
Sort of ill informed since I don't know who won instead but Paul Newman should have won for The Verdict. The best acting of his career.
I'm not sure of the year (2000?), but "Shakespeare in Love" should not have won Best Picture over "Saving Private Ryan". Also, Dame Judi Dench gets the Best Supporting Actress nod for a 30-second role in "Shakespeare in Love"? Unbelievable.
Judy Garland in Star is Born
is so superior to Grace Kelly
she almost lost the baby (Joey).
She made a funny anecdote out of it, too.
Jmeyer NYC
How about not even a nomination? Paul Newman for "Somebody Up There Likes Me". Didn't even get any kind of nod. Such a robbery that friends of his created a statue called the Noscar and gave it to him as both a tribute and a protest. Classy move. Also, this past year the actress(sorry about the name) who played the lead in "Bright Star" should have also received a nod. Perhaps even better than the winner?
I believe in Oscar payback. One previous responder thought that Beatty should have won over Fonda in '81...perhaps, but if there is a God, then Fonday got his payback for not winning in '40. Watch Grapes of Wrath and tell me how he ever lost that Oscar to Stewart for Phila. Story, who, by the way, got paid back for being snubbed the previous year in '39 when his Mr.Smith goes to DC portrayal should have beaten out Mr. Chips' Donat.
However, the biggest all time snub to me was Cagney not even being nominated for White Heat in '49. Not only was his performance thirty times as nuanced as Broderick Crawford's in the overrated All the Kings Men, it's now a classic. Take a look for yourself and see what you think.
Other dumb snubs: both DeNiro and Nicholson should have shared in '76. Nicholson's win for Cukoo was well deserved, but if Barbra could share with Katherine in '68, then Jack should have shared the prize with deNiro for Taxi Driver.
Also, Nicholson not winning for Chinatown in '74 was the big Carney upset.
Finally, anytime Bette Davis did NOT win was a snub to me, especially her losses for All About Eve, The Letter and Little Foxes. Meryl Streep is today's Bette Davis and, while she is never less than excellent, I got drunk the nights she lost for Out of Africa and Silkwood.
Decades after these snubs, when you revisit the snubbed performances of the GREATS, you can truly see how misguided the Oscar committee has been.
I agree that the Oscars frequently gets it wrong- I also agree they will then give it to that person a year or more later.
1) Best Actor 2000 - And the Oscar goes to ... Kevin Spacey for American Beauty - but should've gone to Denzel Washington in the Hurricane! I love Kevin like my luggage- I loved him in many movies, but Washington's performance in that movie was absolutely riveting and unforgettable. He MADE that movie great. So what did they do? They gave him one the next year for Training Day.
2) Best Actor 1982 - And the Oscar goes to... Ben Kingsley for Gandhi ... but Paul Newman's performance in The Verdict was more than Oscar worthy. This year is a case of movie topic- which I think sometimes occurs. The subject of Gandhi is a nobel one that is also historic and morally important- which is a good thing... The Verdict is about a wino lawyer who is trying for a chance at redemption. While I would never say Ben didn't deserve an Oscar- he actually DID... why not have a tie? They did it for Babs & Hepburn... so, the Academy gave him an Oscar in 1986 for The Color of Money. He was MUCH better in The Verdict.
3) One of the biggest oversights, imho, was in 1990. The movie Glory wasn't EVEN nominated for Best Picture! What a crime!!! That movie had it all- great script, acting, direction, music and a sincerely important theme! Not EVEN nominated- a friggin' crime! Here's the list of nominees that year- see if you agree with me that at least one of them could've been exchanged for "Glory":
Driving Miss Daisy (winner), Born on the 4th of July, My Left Foot, Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams.
I quit watching the academy awards some time ago. The academy awards are not about BEST anything...it's about politics. Ever notice the constant theme of movies winning that did poor at the box office? And lets not forget awards like the one guy for scripts or lighting or something...the explanation was "he's done so many great movies over the years, he DESERVED an award"...but no for the garbage film they gave him one for. I never watch the academy awards, nor do I usually watch the movies that win the awards.
Is it true they couldn't decide how to nominate Dustin Hoffman for Tootsie, best actress or actor?
I forgot to add,I loved Dustin's comment at the end of Tootsie when he told Jessica Lange , can't remember the exact quote but went something like this. The best part of me was when I let the female part of take over.
Bette Davis should have closed her eyes for the last time after taking a long, satisfied look at her four Oscars standing proudly on her mantel. During the Academy's eighty years, only one actor/actress has deserved four. Bette Davis. Nobody else.
She should have won:
1938: "Jezebel"- the Academy got it right that year!
1940: "The Letter"- Ginger Rogers? Please!
1941: "The Little Foxes" - Joan Fontaine, whom I adore, should have been nominated and won for '48s "Letter from an Unknown Woman".
1950: "All About Eve" - Judy Holliday? Please!
Katharine Hepburn made her only, highly publicized Oscar appearance at the 1973 awards. She said: "I'm living proof that someone can wait forty-one years to be unselfish." I would much rather she had said: "I'm very thankful for the three Academy Awards that you have bestowed upon me but- come on, friends, you know darn well I didn't deserved two of them! I'm taking advantage of this opportunity to give them back: to Greta Garbo who wasn't even nominated for "Queen Christina" and to Anne Bancroft for "The Graduate".
And before she closed her eyes forever, she should have told her secretary: "Please have them remove my name from the 1981 "On Golden Pond" award. I don't care WHO gets it. I gave so many great performances during my lifetime... it's too, too embarrassing to be remembered for this piece of crap."
Actually, William H. Macy in Fargo should have been nominated in the Best Actor category. He had more lines and screen time than Frances McDormand (the Best Actress winner), but was placed in the Supporting Actor category. This is not to say that his performance didn't far exceed the other nominees -- it certainly did -- it's just that Jerry Lundegaard should have been placed up against David Helfgott, Karl Childers, Larry Flynt, Lazlo de Almasy and Jerry McGuire for a fair fight.
TWO OF THE WORST SNUBS BY THE ACADEMY AWARDS WAS FOR ACTRESSES JEAN SIMMONS---FOR SPARTACUS AND ELMER GANTRY AS WELL AS FOR HOME BEFORE DARK. ALSO DEBORAH KERR FOR AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, THE CHALK GARDEN AND TEA AND SYMPATHY.
IT IS VERY SAD TO SEE THAT BOTH OF THESE ACTRESSES PASSED WITHOUT RECEIVING AN OSCAR FOR SOME OF THE GREATEST PERFORMANCES. DEBORAH KERR DID RECEIVE ONE FOR HER BODY OF WORK, BUT JEAN SIMMONS WAS NEVER HONORED BY THE ACADEMY. CONSIDERING THAT SOME ACTORS ARE GIVEN AN AWARD FOR THEIR FIRST PERFORMANCE AND NEVER GIVE ANOTHER GOOD PERFORMANCE. THESE LADIES COULD DO IT ALL.
WHAT IS DELAYING THE RELEASE OF PORGY AND BESS ON DVD? MANY PEOPLE I KNOW ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS GREAT FILM.
DURING THE EARLY 1950'S THERE WAS A MOVIE CALLED "THE HIGHWAYMAN" FROM THE FAMOUS POEM. IT STARRED WANDA HENDRIX AND CHARLES COBURN. THIS HAS DISAPPEARED AND HAS NEVER BEEN RELEASED ON VHS OR DVD. WHY? DITTO FOR "LYDIA BAILEY" WITH ANNE FRANCIS AND DALE ROBERTSON.
I AGREE WITH STAN T. THE OSCARS ARE ALL ABOUT POLITICS AND NOT ABOUT THE BEST PERFORMANCE. IT USED TO BE AN EVENT THAT I LOOKED FORWARD TO EACH YEAR. IT BECAME A DRAG AND NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO SIT THROUGH.
DO ANY OF THE DISTRIBUTING/MOVIE COMPANIES LISTEN WHEN PEOPLE REQUEST THAT CERTAIN MOVIES BE RELEASED ON DVD? SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE REQUESTED SOME CLASSICS AND YEAR COMPANIES INSIST ON PLACING SOME OF THE WORST JUNK ON DVD'S. LISTEN WARNERS, UNIVERSAL, PARAMOUNT AND MGM.
Val Kilmer - Doc Holliday in TOMBSTONE. With all due respects to Tom Hanks, who is a fine craftsman. And I like westerns, so I'm okay with Lee Marvin. Too me, it's all about charismatic screen presence.
The Right Stuff had the right stuff.
Spartacus and Saving Private Ryan were effected by the politics and bias of the times, but were among a handful of probably the best movies ever. They were obviously beaten by inferior products.
"Pillow Talk" ... nominated was almost the entire cast EXCEPT ROCK HUDON, whose performance the critics raved about and praised to the skies.
"LOVER COME BACK" ... More rave and praise for Mr. Hudson ... Perfect timing, a nuanced performance, etc. Awards? ZIP!
"SECONDS" ... A financial flop but now a cult film that received performance raves from most critics across the globe. Here at home for Mr. Hudson - ZIP!
Let's go back further ... 1956 .. GIANT ... A brilliant performance given by Hudson and Taylor and who got the raves? James Dean, whose over the top performance was so horrid that Nick Adams had to dub in his final scene. The nuanced and near perfect performance by the film's STARS made people stand and cheer. Dean was most definitely a supporting player. Who won the Oscar that year? NOT Mr. Hudson, but Yul Brynner for a role he'd been portraying for years on Broadway and finally on film ... A scene-chewing performance that he made a career of for the rest of his life.
The most under-rated and overlooked actor in Hollywood from the 1950s onwards? ROCK HUDSON!
Check out the body of work he left as a legacy .. Even in the bad films, there were flashes of great acting ("The Tarnished Angels" as an alcoholic reporter is considered one of the best performances on film ...)
There are so many Oscar mistakes, for instance:
Madeline Kahn should have got the oscar for Paper Moon and not Tantrum O'Neal. Tatum was cute but Madeline was better and more deserving.
Roddy McDowall has never been nominated for an Oscar, how sad.
Ron Moody deserved the oscar much more than Cliff Robertson for Charly.
Sandra Bullock is adorable and her performance in The Blind Side is okay, just okay, and she certainly did not deserve the oscar over Meryl Streep. C'mon oscar voters, get it together!
1949: Best supporting actress; Miriam Hopkins was not even nominated for "THE HEIRESS" and she was brilliant in it. She fluttered about as the silly aunt but when you looked in her eyes you found a treasure trove of emotions.
I love Katharine Hepburn and I loved "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", but the award that year should have gone to Dame Edith Evans for "The Whisperers". Her performance in this grim drama should be required watching for anyone studying film acting!!
Clark Gable in Gone With the Wind should have won over Robert Donat in Goodbye Mr. Chips, Bette Davis should have won for All About Eve; Gloria Swanson for Sunset Boulevard; Judy Garland for A Star is Born; James Dean for East of Eden...I'll never understand why all of them, among others, didn't win.
I saw "Monster's Ball" on the recommendation of some friends (as well as the rave reviews). Halle Berry as best actress???? I watched that movie twice and neither time did Ms Berry convince me that she was the character she was playing. The best thing she did in the picture was strip for the gratuitus sex scene. The real stand out performance was Peter Boyle, who made me squirm with his characterization.
Humphrey Bogart
The Maltese Falcon
Black Legion
High Sierra
Treasure Of The Madre
James Cagney
Come Fill The Cup
Each Dawn I Die
Joan Of Paris
(Alan Ladd)
Many people believe this was his BEST performance.Of course he made better films,Shane,This Gun For Hire,And Now Tomorrow,Great Gatsby,etc
James Mason A Star Is Born
Errol Flynn The Sun Also Rises
Steven McNally
Split Second
Johnny Belinda
Jan Sterling
Split Second
John Wayne
Sans Of Iwo Jima
Stagecoach
Richard Basehart
He Walked By Night
Charles McGraw
T Men
Richard Widmark
No Way Out
Sidney Poitier
No Way Out
James Cagney
Angels With Dirty Faces
Personally, the Oscars are very political and totally subjective. Robert Donat for "Goodbye Mr. Chips is a terrific tour de force performance, whereas Clark Gable in "GWTW" played Clark Gable. Montgomery Cliff in "From Here to Eternity" was fantastic! Some you win, and some you lose.
Mickey Rourke, of course, for The Wrestler comes to mind, and going way back think of Steve Cochran's great work in El Grido. Montgomery Clift for From here to Eternity and I Confess ... But the biggest snub: Burt lancaster for Atlantic City ... Women: Supporting Oscar to Shelley Winters for The Night of the Hunter...Thelma Ritter for almost anything she does... Gene Tierney for Leave Her to Heaven...
Academy bigots chose the mediocore CRASH over
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN when Academy members Tony
Curtis and Ernest Borgnine led a revolt against
choosing a Gay love story. They tried to remedy
the situation by selecting lesbian host Ellen De
Generes thefollowing year. But the damage was
done as a stunned Jack Nicholson opened the
envelope to announce the winner...and we heard
gasps from the audience. A grave injustice to
a film of significant stature.
There are some wonderful responses to the article and most of my feelings are already noted. However, I feel compelled to share the following.
1) Doris Day is one of the Hollywood greats who has never been recognized. It is high time that she be awarded a special Oscar, an AFI recognition, or at the least, a Kennedy Center Tribute. She was one of the great singers of the twentieth century, terrific in comedy, and outstanding in drama (Love Me or Leave Me.)
2)The two acting awards for Shakespeare in love were undeserved. I love Judi Dench but that was a very minor role. Gwyneth Paltrow was lovely but did not deserve an Oscar. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth was a fuller, more nuanced performance that year.
3) It still frosts me that Grace Kelly, because of playing against type, won over the spectacular performance of Judy Garland. I guess Grace's sleeping with all her costars made her a favorite over the unreliable Judy.
4) In the acting awards, it was criminal that Cary Grant, Richard Burton and Deborah Kerr never won Oscars, despite years of marvelous performances.
5) I hate all that BS about Brokeback Mountain losing because of anti gay sentiment. I am gay myself and simply thought Crash was a much better movie. I was bored to death with Brokeback and I disliked Heath Ledger for lisping and making fun of gay men on a tv show around the time of the movies release to show how macho and non gay he really was.
6) Why do we still care about the Oscars? They are not really based on excellence any more and the broadcast is a big, bloated boring event...and why do I still watch it?
In 1955 Doris Day starred with James Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me and gave the best performance she has ever given in the best Bio dramatic musical of that year and many many others, Cagney should have one, he was nominated and at the very least Doris Day should have been nominated as best actress...the movie did win 3 awards and was nominated for 6.
I agree with a lot of what has been said so I will begin by saying:
(a) Judy Garland for "A Star is Born" over Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl" (with honourable mention to Dorothy Dandridge for "Carmen Jones".
(b) Fernanda Montenegro for "Central Station" over Gwyneth Paltrow for "Shakespeare in Love"
(c) Paul Newman for "The Verdict" over Ben Kingsley, "Gandhi".
(d) Sal Mineo "Exodus" over Peter Ustinov, "Spartacus".
A few unfortunate non-noms: James Cagney, "Man of a Thousand Faces", Doris Day, "Love Me or Leave Me", Ralph Bellamy and Hume Cronyn, "Sunrise at Campobello", Jean Simmons, "Home Before Dark" and Spencer Tracy being nominated for "The Old Man and the Sea" instead of the much superior, "The Last Hurrah!"
The Academy makes some strange choices. I must agree with them with choosing Adrien Brody for "The Pianist". That was a stunning performance. But not choosing Liam Neeson for "Schindler's List" was ridiculous. And Dorothy Dandridge's "Carmen Jones" losing out to Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl" was unbelievable, as was Heath Ledger's "Brokeback Mountain" tour de force losing to Phillip Seymour Hoffman's "Capote". Toby Jones was much better playing Capote in "Infamous" and deservably won the British Academy Award. And finally, Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard" was better than either Bette Davis in "All About Eve" and Judy Holliday in "Born Yesterday." Wonders never cease.
One thing we need to keep in mind in regard to Oscar snubs is the fact that those individuals who cast ballots haven't seen all the films and/or performances nominated. I agree with the comments that some of the Oscar winnings are based on politics. And more often than not, they're also based on popularity.
Michael O'Keefe ("The Great Santini" 1980) should have beat out Tim Hutton ("Ordinary People") but keep in mind, this was a Robert Redford film, his directoral debut and he won the Oscar for Best Director. An equally strong argument in the Best Director and Supporting Actor categories that year can be made for Martin Scorsese's and Joe Pesci's work in "Raging Bull."
Whoppi Goldberg's best film and Oscar-worthy performance was with Sissy Spacek in "The Long Walk Home" (1990). I agree with Joe Gideon, Goldberg's Oscar for "Ghost" was a popularity vote.
"Last of the Mohicans" (1992) -which wasn't even nominated- should have won the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Imagine, if you will, "Hoffa" with Jack Nicholson, and "Unforgiven" with Clint Eastwood, were BOTH nominated for Best Cinematography(!?).
If I may add to Mario Brescio's list of snubs: Adolf Caesar in "A Soldier's Story" (1984) over James Coco. (Caesar won the 1985 LA Film Critics Association Award, and was nominated for, but did not win, The Golden Globe for his performance. So sad, but as a song featured in this film so aptly put it, "It's a low down dirty shame ...").
As For Judy Dench's Oscar win for a "little bitty" role, consider the late Beatrice Straight's performance opposite William Holden in "Network" (1976), and, more recently, John Ortiz's riveting one-scene performance in "Narc" (2002) with Ray Liotta and Jason Patric. Definitely Oscar-worthy.
As for Halle Berry's Oscar win for "Monster's Ball", did Kim Bassinger deserve an Oscar for "L.A. Confidential" ??
[...] even more Oscar snubs through the years, read two very incisive articles on the subject: I Would Not Like To Thank The Academy by Brian Sieck and When The Best Picture Isn’t The "Best Picture" by Gary [...]
1979: Peter Sellers (Being There) over Dustin Hoffman.
This is the snub that made me care a lot less about the Oscars. Sellers was snubbed before, but his timeless performance as Chance The Gardner to me was one of his best.
Colin Firth over Jeff Bridges for "A Single Man." Helen Mirren over Sandra Bullock for "The Last Station." Both in 2009.
I couldn't believe Elizabeth Taylor won best actress for Butterfield 8 over Melina Mercouri in Never On Sunday or Shirley Maclaine in The Apartment. Talk about a pity vote for Elizabeth. And the greatest snub of all, in my opinion, was not giving Best Actor to Richard Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff! Elizabeth got it for Best Actress, and she was good, but Burton's performance was tour de force! Who knows what goes through voters' minds?
Colin Clive should have at least have been nominated as best supporting actor for HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT in 1937. It was supporting work at its best, in that his presence was felt throughout the whole film...even when he was not on screen. It was his malevolent character that kept a lovely romance from floating away like a bubble.
The 2 largest and most jarring snubs for me (over 80 years) was the Bette Davis losing the award for the performance of her career in ALL ABOUT EVE.
Secondly, and more shocking was the fact that the most celebrated and awarded film of 2006 (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) could be passed over for the only BEST PICTURE award it didn't win that year. Homophobia should have no place in artistic film evaluation. I must add that 2006 was the last year I have been able to take these awards in any serious was at all.
1943: The delightful and highly talented Jean Arthur in "The More the Merrier" should have won over Jennifer Jones in "The Song of Bernadette". Jennifer Jones was terrific in "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" in the late 1950s but did not have the fully developed talent of Jean Arthur in 1943. Great comedies are sadly neglected in Oscar wins.
Judy Garland for A Star Is Born...I still lose my mind everytime I think of Grace Kelly getting that oscar...As Groucho Marks said of the Oscar snub to Judy..."That was the greatest robbery since Brinks"...
Peter O"Toole: Lawrence of Arabia & The Lion in Winter. Gergory Peck was great in To Kill a Mockingbird but the competition against him for Lion in Winter? Steve McQueen: Papillon. Paul Newman: The Verdict & Cool Hand Luke.
1956 Best Actor Kirk Douglas [Lust for Life] over Yul Brenner [King and I]
As others have pointed out, Oscars are given in following years to make up for not granting one correctly for the actual winning performance.
Judi Dench won the Supporting Actress nod for Shakespeare in Love because the Oscar was the only award she did NOT receive the previous year for Mrs. Brown (Golden Globe, BAFTA, ScreenActors Guild, etc. etc.). The Oscar went to Helen Hunt for As Good As it Gets.
Elizabeth Taylor won for Butterfield 8 because she did not receive the Oscar previously for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Clive Owen should have won for Supporting (Closer) instead of Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), but it was Mr. Freeman's turn . . .
I agree, Edward Norton for American History X instead of Roberto Bengini.
When I saw Monster's Ball in the theater in NYC, I knew Berry would get the Best Actress Oscar. The only down side was her acceptance speech in which she did not acknowledge her peer's compliment to her work in the film.
Thanks to all of the above, it was great reading your comments!
I never tire of repeating that the most ludicrous Oscar choice of all time was Rocky as Best Picture in 1977. I don't care how popular or beloved it is, that movie is the most maudlin, cliched piece of hackneyed tripe I've ever seen. Even worse, it was chosen over two truly superior, highly original, and profoundly influential movies -- Taxi Driver and Network -- that have only grown in appreciation and acclaim over the years. Of course, the other two nominees -- All The President's Men and Bound for Glory -- were also far better movies than Rocky. As far as I'm concerned, you could choose any Woody Woodpecker cartoon and top Stallone's hyperbolic melodrama anyday.
1) Julia Roberts (Erin Brokovich) over Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream): the worst Academy misstep in modern history, and the last time I even thought about taking the Oscars seriously.
2) Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday) over Bette Davis (All About Eve) AND Gloria Swanson (Sunset Blvd.)??? C'mon, really???
3) "Best Picture" nonsense: Crash (a hack production which played more like a bad TV movie) over Brokeback Mountain, a glorious, beautiful and incredibly memorable film. 'nuff said.
4) Halle Berry winning an Oscar for anything. Insanity.
5) And most recently and appallingly, the innocuous Sandra Bullock's average performance in the mediocre and sappy film 'The Blind Side' over Meryl Streep's wondrous reincarnation of Julia Child in 'Julie and Julia.' Unbelievable and downright maddening.
the awards are hollywood politics personafied. take a film or actor in a great role, and see if they fit the mold of "popular" issues of the time. and many actor categories were given as "make ups" for aging actors on their way out. just a frustrating reality for fans.
A Life Achievement Honorary Oscar for Edward G. Robinson at his life's end was excellent, but he was never NOMINATED for a competive one in his life. I'd have handed out Life Achievement Honorary Oscars to James Cagney, Boris Karloff, William Powell, Vincent Price and John Wayne, as well. Each year now, I hope for one for Doris Day.
Doris Day in "Love Me or Leave Me." Stephanie Bachelor in "Lady of Burlesque." Mary Boland in "The Women" AND "Pride and Prejudice."
Here are a couple:
Judy Garland for "A Star Is Born"
Bette Davis for "All About Eve"
Meryl Streep for "Julie & Julia"
I'm still smarting over "Annie Hall" over "Star Wars," too.
anybody over Mel Gibson or Kevin Costner
All sorts of gfreat genre movies are far superior to many Oscar winners. In one decade, consider North by Northwest, Some Like It Hot, and Ride Lonesome in 1959, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Seven Men From Now and The Killing in 1956, and The Lusty Men, Scarmouche, The Narrow Margin, and Singin' in the Rain in 1952 over Ben-Hur, Around the World in 80 Days, and The Greatest Show on Earth
Jim Singleton, I agree. Val Kilmer was great in Tombstone. Classic western movie if ever there was one. "I'll be your huckleberry!"
HEY MARIO....THE REASON BETTE DAVIS DID NOT WIN THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR "ALL ABOUT EVE" WAS BECAUSE ANNE BAXTER WOULD NOT ACCEPT A SUPPORTING PLAYER NOMINATION...THEREFORE, THEY CANCELLED EACH OTHER OUT AND JUDY HOLIDAY WALKED AWAY WITH THE AWARD....SHOULD BE RENAMED "ALL ABOUT EVIL MS. BAXTER".. HA, HA....WRONG.... SHE WAS GREAT IN ANYTHING SHE DID.
i think montgomery clif was robbed by not winning for from here to eternity the award that year went to william holden
Peter Sellers should've won Best Actor for his role as Chance in Being There. Instead it went to Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer. The later was a more timely film, but Being There is a better and more important one. Seller was brilliant as the simple gardner that somehow seems a deep thinker to everyone around him.
Peter O'Toole in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA should have won over Gregory Peck in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I love both parts but O'Toole mesmerizes me every time as Lawrence, my all time favorite performance from an actor. Period.
My all time favorite performane was in a class by itself. ROSALIND RUSSELL in AUNTIE MAME. The heart, love, comedy and drama performance in this film, made it the biggest snubbed performance of all time.
Rosalind Russell should have won over Susan Hayward for "I want to Live"
Judy Holliday over. BETTE DAVIS in All about Eve. That is the biggest acting slap ever....and Crash over BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (which wone every single award from every organization)......
They should be re-named the Popularity of the Moment Award.
[...] also crafted an comprehensive article early in the year titled, I Would Not Like To Thank The Academy: Oscar Snubs Over The Years. As the title suggests, Brian takes a close look at actors who were passed over for their [...]
Enjoyed all the Oscar comments and agreed with almost everyone! Let's face it-----it is all "the P's"-----politics and popularity. We peons will have to just continue to grin and bear it----or not go to the movies at all anymore! It's nice that we all have this outlet to complain and give personal opinions.
Bette Davis in All About Eve gets my vote for the biggest snub and I think that Gloria Swanson was a very close second. Billie Holiday was good, but not as good as Bette Davis was. As evidenced by the passionate comments, there were many snubs that were right on in my opinion.
I also agree with Edward Norton over Benigni. His performance was simply incredible. There have been so many travesties over the years that it just gets me upset to think about them so I just don't. Watching the Oscars has become less than exciting. Too bad, cause I used to really look forward to them.
Never, never, never will I get past the awarding of the Best Actress Oscar to Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl" instead of Judy Garland for "A Star is Born" in (I think) 1955. How could they do that? AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!
I agree with most of the above (haven't seen as many contemporary movies as classic ones) and will add:
(1) Kirk Douglas: "Ace in the Hole"; "The Bad and The Beautiful"; "Lust for Life" - many more!
(2) Rosalind Russell: "The Women"; "His Girl Friday"; "The Women"; "Mourning Becomes Electra" - many more!
(3) Dirk Bogarde:
"The Servant"; "Accident"; "The Damned"; "Death in Venice" - for starters!
(4) Lynn Redgrave in "Georgy Girl" should have won in 1966!
(5) The late Susannah York - "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (1969): how did she lose to Goldie Hawn in "Cactus Flower"?!
Oh well - too many more to list! But I know everyone gets the picture! (no pun intended)
[...] course in the Academy's glorious tradition of overlooking deserving winners-who-weren't, with I Would Not Like To Thank The Academy: Oscar Snubs Over The Years! You may also wish to make your own fantasy-Best-Picture-switch by contributing to the Movie Poll: [...]
As far as snubs go I think Cher got one when she made MASK. MOONSTRUCK was a good movie but her performance did not compare to what she did in MASK
Rosalind Russell should have received so much more recognition. Her Auntie Mame or Gypsy show cased the talents of a really great Actress. In addition, all the talents of Doris Day should be rewarded.
1998 - Shakespeare in Love takes something like 7 awards, including....
best picture vs. Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful and Saving Private Ryan. huh?
best actress vs. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (probably the one thing Cate deserved an award for)
Best costuming vs. Elizabeth and VELVET GOLDMINE (You watch velvet goldmine for Jonathan Rhys Meyers and the costuming).
Best art direction vs. Elizabeth, Saving pt. ryan, Pleasantville...
Best supporting actress to Judi Dench - OK... so Joan Allen didn't get nominated and it wasn;t really a year for meaty supporting actress roles.
Best original screenplay vs Saving Pt. Ryan and Life is Beautiful.
As far as I'm concerned its only value is in making a nice transition movie-snack/potty break if you were doing a Shakespearean movie marathon and wanted a cheery segue from Romeo and Juliet into Twelfth Night. But that's if you spend half the time out of the room making popcorn...
Every film up against Shakespeare in Love can consider themselves snubbed.
You must remember this, you must remember THIS....the oscars are an AMERICAN INSTITUTION! Regardless of the quality of the story, movie, diercting and acting skill, on the whole, it'll the the Americans saying to the film world, "Well, we are the best...so there." Yes now and then they'll endeavour to try and give a little statue to someone overseas.
[...] fine pieces on that subject, "I Would Not Like to Thank the Academy: Oscar Snubs Over the Years" (article) and "When the Best Picture Isn't the 'Best Picture'" (article). I'm just here to point out [...]
OK, here is my one head scratching Oscar moment for everyone. James Cagney gave the best performance of his life in "Love Me or Leave Me" . He was nominated for best actor but it went to Ernest Borgnine. Love Me or Leave Me was also the pinacle for Doris Day as well but she was totally snubbed with no nomination. She held her own with Cagney and it still is their best work as far as I am concerned. Today if not for the British, aka Daniel Day Lewis, Colin Firth, etc. we'd have really lousy films. The so called comedies being made today are not even worthy of being called B movies... Jeff Bridges is a good example of our best in the US plus the Coen Brothers. Spielbery is lazy and consumed with politics, I mean Sandra Bullock and Jenifer Aniston cannot act and yet they get paid these huge sums of money. In Bullock's case it was just so weak in her category that she won for selling the most movie tickets. Mery Streep is another fantastic actress we'd be lost without. As for the wonderful days when we had "Movie Stars" that could also act...I cannot think of any movie stars other than Nicole Kidman who fits that bill and George Clooney, both look like movie stars and both can act. About 10 people saw "NINE" last year and yet Daniel Day Lewis was brilliant in that and had the original material the movie was based on had better songs it would have been a huge hit. The bad songs were all that ruined the film. I hope it will not deter work for Rob Marshall, he is a brilliant Director and we could use more good musicals. I have watched NINE that was universally panned by critics and I find more in it to love each viewing. Maybe once all the people with bad bad taste in Hollywood leave American movies will once again be worth the money of a ticket. Ryan Gosling is brilliant and his movie Blue Valentine has hardly made 10 million yet. It is impossible to even find a theatre where it is playing. All the good films are held till Christmas then they play a week or two then have to make room for more Vampire or Comedy movies in order to sell tickets. The big Oscar night is coming up but everyone knows from the pre press that Colin Firth will win for The King's Speech...no surprises anymoresince the Weinsteins began to buy Oscars with the media blitz. Colin Firth was better in The Girl with one Pearl Earring and last years A Single Man but this year it is his prize but they ignore nominating Ryan Gosling who so far as I can see has never been bad in any of his films and only gets better. All I can say is thank you Godfor giving us DVD's. After all the hype and bad movies are gone movie lovers can enjoy what they want to see over and over again and decide for themselves.And one more thank you goes to the only channel on my TV I'd really miss were it to vanish and that is TCM. Robert Osborne is also a national treasure.
It's great to hear the educated opinions of other movie nuts like myself. Keep 'em coming
I think MICHAEL CLARK DUNCAN should have won over Michael Caine for his potrayal of John Coffey as MCD definitely was exceptional in his special role. 1999
I think both Liam Neeson & Ralph Fiennes should have won Best Actor and Supporting Actor in support of the win of Best Movie of Schindler's List. 1993
I think Daniel Day Lewis should have won for "Gangs of New York" over Adrian Brody, but, a close call. However; The movie should have won over Chicago or, The LOTR: The Two Towers could have won it as well for best picture.
And, last but not least, Saving Private Ryan or the Thin Red Line should have won over Shakespeare in Love for best Picture.
Monty Clift was snubbed and snubbed, and more recently Mickey Rourke for, of course, The Wrestler. Then there's Edward G. Robinson. More recently, Annette Benning and Joan Cusack. I think back to Strangers on a Train and the sinister Robert Walker and the wacky Marian Lorne as his mother.
Lots of Oscar inequities but none worse than Lee Marvin for Cat Ballou. All the other nominees were better: Olivier for Othello, Burton for Spy Who Came In From Cold, Steiger for Pawnbroker and my favorite, Oskar Werner for Ship of Fools.
Worst ever Best Picture pick was 1952 Greatest Show on Earth. This was a political snub against High Noon. Similarly American in Paris won over Streetcar Named Desire. Kazan hadn't ratted out his friends to HUAC yet, so he was shown he'd never get an Oscar till he did.
You're kidding, right? I stopped paying attention to the Oscars show years ago. Speaking strictly as a person with a brain, I just don't see how it can be taken seriously. Besides, whatever acting in front of a film or video camera may actually be, it sure isn't an art form. No less an expert on the subject than Marlon Brando offered this well considered viewpoint years ago. And I have no doubt about the fact that he was absolutely right.
The recipe for an Oscar win is a lot like a stew recipe, alittle of this and a little of that,ie: story, impact with the public, acting, production music, Hollywood politics, box office success or not, and what tickles their collective fancy. The Oscar shouldn't be an echo of critics awards. It should be what the Ampas members decide.I do know this that the Oscar as an award for the entire industry has gone off track over the last five/six years,choosing films the critics push over well-made, well-acted interesting stories that the movie public likes.The net result are winners that are not financial or popular successes, movies which have to be introduced to an indifferent public. Not a good place to be for the entire industry.
I like to see more comedies performances nominated--the worst snubs--fred astaire was great in towering Inferno over DeNiro in Godfather 2--lisa kudrow should of won for opposite of sex in stead of Judi Dench-who was robbed for Mrs Brown...and my all time fave--Barbara Stanwyck should of won for any of her 4 nominations stella dallas,ball of fire,double indemnity(she was robbed on that one),sorry wrong number way ahead of jane wyman in johnny belinda,,clint eastwood was a revelation in gran torino.....i disagree on some lee marvin was deserving,gregory peck was more than great in my all time fave fim to kill a mockingbird-it should of won best picture and the score by elmer berstein should of won as well....
Peter o'toole was a revelation in his greatest performance The Lion in Winter.jill clayburgh an unmarried women.sigourney weaver copy cat,,lauren bacall mirror has 2 faces,barbra streisand the way we were,angela bassett whats love got to do with it ,,ellen page juno,,robert downey jr tropical thunder,,bruce davison longtime companion,,lisa kudrow opposite of sex-far ahead of judi dench 7min performance(kudrow didnt even get nominated--)fre astaire,jennifer jones in towering inferno--it should of won best picture..juanita moore imitation of life,,edithe evans the chalk garden,,(should of won best pic,actress for ms kerr)..
Saving Private Ryan should have won best picture instead of Shakespeare in Love. I also consider Myrna Loy not getting an Oscar nomination a snub.
Margaret Hamilton for 1939 Best Supporting Actress instead of Hattie McDaniel, even though she didn't even get nominated.
This is why I NEVER watch the awards shows anymore. It's all about playing the "game".
One of the great performances, Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Snubbed!
I saw both films Sandra Bullock in Blind Side and
Meryl Streep in the Julia Childs film. Both films wer enjoyable but NOT Acadamy Award Films.
Henry Fonda should have won the Oscar for Grapes of Wrath.
I do not watch the Academy Awards, Dull and Boring
I remember watching the Blind side to see what the buzz was all about. I still have no idea.
You have to often look at the films and how they will be remembered, really is the Blind Side going to be remembered that long. I have a feeling it is already on the 6.99 shelf on grocery stores. Whereas Grapes of Wrath with Henry Fonda's fantastic performance pointed out earlier is still priced for its popularity.
As for Kate Hudson, I think the sappy same old roles she continues to play over and over again say it all. Marsha Gay harden was robbed.
1963 - Peter O'Toole as Lawrence of Arabia losing to Gregory Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird".
O'Toole has repeatedly given tour de force performances and has been repeatedly snubbed. Hell, he should have gotten a nod for his delightful turn mocking himself in "My Favorite Year".
What about all the snubs for one of the greatest directors who ever lived, Alfred Hitchcock. Vertigo, Rear Window and North By Northwest are masterpieces in the art of direction. They are also timeless in what they say.
Gena Rowlands performance in A Woman Under the Influence is one of the most unforgettable and amazing performances I have ever seen and there should have been a tie that year with the Best Actress winner which was Ellen Burstyn who won it for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
I never watch the Academy Awards anymore and haven't
for a long time. They ARE boring and the choices are
unbelievable in each category. I am sure it is Politics and Popularity as one comment says and that
rules nowadays. Some of the movies, today, are remakes as they have run out of ideas, I guess. They
need to choose better people on the Committee that
chooses the awards and who have better taste. Also
less favoritism would help. Let's face it, they should stop awarding the Oscar altogether and clean up their act!
THE BIGGEST OVERSIGHT IS THE SNUB OF IRENE DUNNE WHO PROVIDED QUALITY ENJOYMENT THROUGH NUMEROUS MOVIES OVER THE YEARS. I'D VOTE FOR ENJOYMENT MOVIES OVER ARTSY MOVIES EVERYTIME. LIKE HER CO-STARS WHO WERE ALSO BELITTLED(CARY GRANT). ANOTHER ACTRESS THAT DIDN'T GET CREDIT FOR THE ENJOYMENT MOVIES SHE PROVIDED IS MAUREEN O'HARA. SHE TOO WORKED WITH CO-STARS THAT WERE BELITTLED(JOHN WAYNE). THEIR MOVIES PROUDLY HAVE A PROUD PLACE ON MY SHELVES.
Natalie Wood deserved to win two of her three Oscar losses: in '61 over Sophia Loren For "Splendor In the Grass" and in '63 for "Love With the Proper Stranger" over Patricia Neal. Even Ms. Neal agreed.
Barbara Stanwyck never won and that is robbery. A magnificent actress(and she could ride a horse to perfection). Bette Davis was robbed too many times,especially "All About Eve>".
When the delightful Judy Holliday won the best actress Oscar for "Born Yesterday" many thought that her co-nominees Bette Davis or Gloria Swanson should have won. Yet we tend to forget about nominee Eleanor Parker who gave an exceptional performance in the prison drama "Caged". Anne Baxter was the fifth nominee for "All About Eve".
After all is said and done my vote is for Gloria Swanson as the formidable Norma Desmond in "Sunset Blvd."
Cheers to all five ladies!
Joaquin Phoenix for Gladiator over Benecio Del Toro (who was good too).
Should Have Won (Some weren't even nominated) Judy Garland for both A Star Isw Born & Judgement At Nurenburg; Garbo for Camille;Peter O,Toole for Lawreence Of Arabia;James Mason for A Star Is Born;Irene Dunne for I Remember Mama;both James Cagney & Doris Day for Love Me Or Leave Me;Paulette Goddard for So Proudly We HailTyrone Power for Nightmare Alley.
Here's what I can't believe: That Barbara Stanwyck never won an Oscar! Check out the movies "Ball of Fire","Double Indemnity" and "Stella Dallas" just to name a few.
Oh man. This blog site is cool. How can I make it look like this ?
Edward G Robinson never nominated for an Academy Award. The Sea Wolf, Little Caesar, Double Indemnity, Key Largo, etc.
I haven't watched the Oscars since I was a teen and realized what a joke they are. The list is endless of brilliant actors and actresses snubbed over the years. Why is it that we are still watching the movies of days gone by and aware of the junk they are pumping out today and ignoring it in droves. Maybe Oscar didn't think so but we all know these people deserved Oscars because they still entertain us decades later better than anything new that has come along. From Myrna Loy to William Powell, Steve McQueen to Natalie Wood, Doris Day, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Dana Andrews, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly for goodness sake tell me one of them wasn't worthy....Judy Garland, Irene Dunne, Robert Young, Fred MacMurray, Debbie Reynolds, Thelma Ritter like I said the list is endless and shameful !!
The Year: 1967
The Winner: Katharine Hepburn
The REAL Winner: Audrey Hepburn
First, I'll never forgive the academy's snub in '64- ignored for My Fair Lady because she didn't sing for herself? HA- then why did Deborah Kerr receive a nomination for The King and I in '56? Politics- pure and simple... but that's another tale...
Sadly, the Academy snubbed Hepburn again in '67 with their failure to nominate her superb performance in Two for the Road. With this performance and her depiction of Suzi Hendrix in Wait Until Dark, Hepburn tackled two different and challenging roles in the same year.
No offense to Kate, Anne, Faye, or Edith, but Audrey deserved the Oscar, if not for Two for the Road, certainly for her work in Wait Until Dark.
1950: Bette Davis(All About Eve)should have won over Judy Holiday.
1951: Marlon Brando (A Streetcar Named Desire) over Humphrey Bogart.
1953: Deborah Kerr (From Here To Eternity) over Audrey Hepburn.
1954: Judy Garland (A Star is Born) over Grace Kelly.
1963: Peter O'Toole Lawrence of Arabia [over Gregory Peck-To kill a mockingbird] - they both should have rec'd an award
1964: Agnes Moorehead (Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte) over Lila Kedrova.
1973: Barbra Streisand (The Way We Were) or Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist) over Glenda Jackson.
1974: Al Pacino (The Godfather II) over Art Carney
1981: Warren Beatty (Reds) over Henry Fonda.
1982: Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie) over Ben Kingsley.
All time achievement awards: From Edward G. Robinson to Myrna Loy to William Powell, Steve McQueen to Natalie Wood, Doris Day, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Dana Andrews, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly will never understand why one of them wasn't worthy....Judy Garland, Irene Dunne, Robert Young, Fred MacMurray, Debbie Reynolds, Thelma Ritter like I said the list is endless and shameful !!
I agree with everything Connie wrote!!
Another favorite, whom I believe was the most nominated actor, but never one, was Richard Burton.
My favorites of his:
1953 The Robe (along with co-star Jean Simmons);
1964 Becket;
1969 Anne of A Thousand Days.
All terrific films.