Best Actor 1951: Results

5. Fredric March in Death of a Salesman- March portrays Wily Loman as completely insane, this one performance I really do not what to make of, but I certainly can say that it is not good.

4. Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen- Bogart's performance is largely functional for me. He sometimes goes above functionality and sometimes goes below it.

3. Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory- Kennedy gives a very good performance as a blinded soldier. He is particularly strong when coming to grips with his situation, the performance becomes less interesting as the film goes on, but overall it is a strong performance.

2. Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire- Marlon Brando's performance is most certianly a great performance doing wonders with in some ways a simple character. Brando gives virile, as well as brutal performance, that somehow always is a pleasure to watch.

1. Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun- This is one big upset I suppose, even an upset to myself I think. Both Clift and Brando are in top form, and each give unforgettable performances. Clift's performance has the even greater emotional pull for me, and it is the performance I believe I will remember most from this year. This is not a slight at all to Brando, their performances are both brilliant, I just loved Clift's performance even more.

Deserving Performances:
Alastair Sim in Scrooge
Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train

Best Actor 1951: Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen

Humphrey Bogart won his only Oscar from his second Oscar nomination for portraying Charlie Allnut in The African Queen.

The African Queen tells the story of a steamboat Captain Charlie, and a missionary Rosie (Katharine Hepburn) who attempt to destroy a large German ship in Africa during World War I.

Humphrey Bogart's win here is usually described as a makeup career award, and it is hard to deny that fact. I  do not think this would probably still be a noted Bogart performance even if he had not won the award, because of the style of Bogart's performance here. His performances many other times are largely serious with more of some brief moments perhaps of comedy, this performance though is a rather casual performance from Bogart, that could be described as one of his most comedic.

Bogart is a performer who I sometimes plays parts a little on the dull side, and not infusing enough energy into his performance. Here I will say he tries not to really play the part all that dully a lot of the time, since he in many ways tries to be a more energetic Bogart here, that is a little more wild than in many of his earlier performances. This does not mean I find his performance all that interesting either, but he is at least not overly dull in this performance.

Bogart never becomes overly interesting even though not dull, because his performance still is never that good. He is charming at times, but other times he seems to just be acting the part without infusing all that much into the scene. He sometimes does feel more of just going through the motions of the performance a little bit, by not adding the additional charm the performance probably always required.

A big part of his performance is his chemistry with Katharine Hepburn. I have heard many say they love their chemistry together. I myself never felt it to be that amazing, but not extremely lacking either this time around. I think they work well enough together in their basically two person show, but still their work never becomes all that fascinating or entertaining either.

Bogart's performance most of the time feels just functional to me. This time around I felt he drifted a bit to a bit more than functional and a few minor scenes I really did think he was quite charming, but other scenes he goes below functional such as with his drunk scene. This is a mixed performance more than it used to be, which is an improvement since I felt had little value at all before. I still can't call this really a good performance but I am now far more reluctant to call it a bad one.

Best Actor 1951

And the Nominees Were:

Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun

Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire

Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen

Arthur Kennedy in Bright Victory

Fredric March in Death of a Salesman

Best Actor 1954: Results

5. Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny- Bogart's role is in fact supporting, and much of his performance is more suitable than all that good. I would say he has some strong scenes, but overall he really is not given enough of a focus.

4. Dan O'Herlihy in Robinson Crusoe- O'Herlihy- is very good at his often one man show performance. He remains interesting even through the minimal tasks of survival, and shows the growth of the character very well.

3. Bing Crosby in The Country Girl- Crosby is incredibly strong in his performance as the beaten down has been actor. He shows a very powerful emotional strength, and creates an interesting portrait of a man broken down by his guilt, and his feeble attempts to not face up to the facts.

2. James Mason in A Star in Born- James Mason gives a very charming performance as Norman Maine, and he works perfectly along with Judy Garland. He makes Normain Maine a likable and memorable character, which makes his fall all the more heartbreaking.

1. Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront- Although I thought Mason was truly terrific, I never had a question who the best of this year was. Brando simply stands alone with his tremendous performance which is simply an extraordinary performance. A perfect performance that is completely honest, charming, and simply one of the most effective screen performances I have ever seen. (Good prediction Dinasztie)

Deserving Performances:
James Stewart in Rear Window
Ray Milland in Dial M for Murder
Toshiro Mifune in Seven Samurai

Best Actor 1954: Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny

Humphrey Bogart received his third and final Oscar nomination for portraying Lt. Commander Philip Queeg in The Caine Mutiny.

The Caine Mutiny is not a particularly good film, although I felt it had some good moments here and there. One problem is the actual lead (Not Bogart) is insanely dull, there is one of the most tacked on love stories ever, and the message of the message of the movie is so confused I doubt the filmmakers knew what they were trying to say.

Humphrey Bogart really is a supporting player as the Captain of the World War II ship the Caine. He shows up and instantly everyone seems to be off put by him, and he himself seems very much upset.  Queeg is portrayed as a fairly incompetent Captain actually, and attempts to be a controlling although not cruel captain. He tries to attempt to keep a regular order. Bogart lacks command in his performance, which makes sense. He is properly pathetic I suppose as no one listens to him, he fails to command any respect. I suppose Bogart is fine as being the Captain without respect, and I will say does have one very good scene showing the sadness, and nervousness of the Captain well.  That is when he pleads with his crew to help him out, but the Captain receives no words of help of comfort. I think Bogart shows the Captain sadness, and paranoid history well here in this one scene.

Most of the time though Bogart is only just fine, in the role never all that amazing. I feel he fulfills the needs of the role, but most of the time does only just that. He never adds more to Queeg developing a really interesting portrait of the man who is on the end of the rope rather just a suitable one. He is more than just suitable in a few moments like the scene stated early. Bogart also handles his scene where he freezes up fairly well as well. Bogart shows Queeg nervousness once again in this moment fairly well. Than after the mutiny he has one scene his one big court room sequence. His disintegration is well handled in this scene, as he breaks down once again. Bogart's performance is not amazing most of the time, but I do feel he shines when he needs to.

Best Actor 1954

And the Nominees Were:

Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny 

James Mason in A Star is Born

Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

Bing Crosby in The Country Girl 

Dan O'Herlihy in Robinson Crusoe

So who will it be the broken down Ship Captain, the broken down screen actor, the broken down boxer, the broken down stage actor, or the guy who was on a broken down ship.

Best Actor 1943: Results

5. Walter Pidgeon in Madame Curie- I think Pidgeon does a fine job with the role, but the role is just a bit too simple for anything amazing to come from it.

4. Gary Cooper in For Whom The Bell Tolls- Cooper gives a okay performance since he relies on his strengths in terms of his silent abilities, rather than his weaknesses.

3. Mickey Rooney in The Human Comedy- Rooney is actually surprisingly good, toning down his star persona to give an honest and very effective portrayal of a young man, who must deal with certain aspects of his life including the sad losses of World War II.

2. Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca- Bogart gives a completely iconic performance, and everything he does as Rick Blaine seems to be perfectly Rick Blaine, that's all I can really say about his performance. Maybe it really is as perfect as some claim, or perhaps it is a weaker performance protected by its own iconic nature, very hard to tell for me.

1. Paul Lukas in Watch on The Rhine- Bogart's performance may be more iconic but Lukas's is the greater achievement in pure acting. I read one article that described Lukas's win as bad because any descent actor could have given the same performance, I must say that reviewer is completely wrong. Lukas's performance is brilliantly fleshed out by Lukas in scenes when he is not talking suggesting everything without words, and equally powerful showing the conflicting emotions involved with the character's fight with fascism. This was not a run of the mill performance, any actor could have done, Lukas went beyond that creating a fascinating portrait of man struggling with the world.

Deserving Performances:
Joseph Cotton in Shadow of A Doubt

Best Actor 1943: Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca

Humphrey Bogart received his first Oscar Nomination for portraying Rick Blaine in Casablanca.

Casablanca is a film that routinely bored me, and disappointed me the first time I watched it, when I watched it again I will say it has grown on me a bit. I still think it far from one of the greatest films of all time, but I did certainly find it to be good this time around.

Humphrey Bogart's performance is one of the most iconic performance in film history, usually when thinking of Bogart or the film, the though is of Bogart in that white suit, and in that iconic Cafe. Still being iconic does not automatically mean a high quality performance. I actually really like his second most iconic role, that of Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, and think that is a perfect display of him excelling completely in his comfort zone but anyways. Bogart's performance is interesting in that most people would say no one else could have played Rick better. Now today that is most certainly true, if anyone else tried the part, it would seem that they just could not be the same iconic character as Bogart. But perhaps someone else had played Rick originally, perhaps a better performance could possibly be given. But because he did play the role it now seems no one else could have ever played it well as he does.

Now does he play the role perfectly. That is an interesting question because Rick and Bogart seem one and the same when it comes to this role, and that whatever he does is purely Rick.  He just is the type of man Rick is the way he stands, smokes his cigarette and carries himself. Who else could be like that but Bogart. Perhaps someone but the iconic nature of the Rick prevents me from seeing this, and Bogart seems to still be correct.  This performance does vex me because for me it is hard to critically examine, because of the conflict between the actual performance and the Iconic Bogart/Rick. I suppose whatever he did must of worked, because even the suit, and the club were important to make Rick, the film could not have technically be done without Bogart.

I will say that the first time I viewed the film, I found him to be rather dull at times, but this time, his performance did grow on me like the film. His acting as Rick just seemed to be technically correct. He now never seemed dull, if he was not emotional it was because Rick was simply too calm and collected to be so. Bogart must deserve credit I say since his performance I truly thrown off my ability to criticize. I do not think his chemistry with Ingrid Bergman is actually perfect in a technical sense, but for someone reason it deservedly earns to be a romance of cinematic legend. I do not know how but for some reason it all works, is it Bogart's acting, or Michael Curtiz's directing, I am not sure, but Bogart can technically do no wrong as Rick. Is this performance perfect as some say, I hesitate to agree, because I can name many greater performance in terms of acting. Is it something unique and something somehow impossible to replicate since no one else can could really be Bogart's Rick.

I  must admit when I was planning on doing this year I was full and ready to let Bogart's heavily praised performance have it  so to speak, due to the first time I saw it. I thought it was dull and boring, and I do think others could easily see it the same way. I no longer really do and I could also see how others could see it as underacting. I would partially agree with that, but not entirely because this time around his performance simply did work despite such potential flaws. I will say frankly this performance was incredibly difficult to review due to its overly iconic nature, and I will stop here for my own sanity, and just give Bogart:

Best Actor 1943

And the Nominees Were:

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca

Walter Pidgeon in Madam Curie

Paul Lukas in Watch on The Rhine

Gary Cooper in For Whom the Bell Tolls

Mickey Rooney in The Human Comedy


So who do you pick, and who do you predict? The iconic bar owner involved with Nazis, the Anti-Nazi, the solider in the Spanish American War, the death messenger, or Pierre Curie?