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: Mickey Rooney in The Human Comedy

Mickey Rooney received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Homer Macauley in The Human Comedy.

The Human Comedy is a film that certainly has an intro that grabs you from the very beginning. I will admit its hold does not stay throughout the film, but it has a truly great introduction. After that it tells the story of people effected by World War II, and people in the town of Ithaca. Not every story was effective but some were, and I will admit to having my heart tugged a bit at the end.

Mickey Rooney as Homer is the center of the film, the person in which the other stories interact with. He plays a young man, whose father has died and his brother is in the Army. To support his family he must go to work for a telegram service, delivery singing telegrams, and sometimes telegrams that deliver cryptic news. I must say that Rooney usually can be looked at as a chronic over actor. Usually going too much with his manic energy, but that is not the case in this film, and I was really glad to see he tones it down here. He tries to really be this young man who does what he can during war time.

I like his youthful exuberance here because he never does over do it this time around. He really seemed like a young high school kid here, and I felt he did a good job in being authentically the part, especially since there are so many times were he plays the same age group in a completely different way. I really liked him here and I felt he properly fleshed out Homer very well, rather than doing the standard Rooney character. For he really showed the relationships between his character and everyone else very well. He always seemed natural when Homer was with his brother, his mother, his sister, in school, or his two employers. He always seemed like a really young man in these different scenes, which worked well. He still enabled himself to have a particular charm in his performance, but keeps as part of the performance rather than overtaking in it.

Mickey Rooney actually shows a very moving side of his acting abilities in certain scenes of the films. The scenes where he must deal with the death involved with the war. Rooney makes this scenes as powerful as they are because of his spot on performance. He really conveys the truest emotions possible in these scenes, when he reads the sad news on the telegraph, his face really makes these scenes of the emotional edge needed. All of the scenes where he must deal with the death, every single one, Rooney does as well with them, and they always hit the right emotional note. Especially when he sees the final telegram, and meets his brother's army friend. Rooney absolutely makes these scene honest, and they became truly emotionally effective moments in the film, and the best moments of the film. The performance was another pleasant surprise for me, and Rooney shows at least something of what must of contributed to Laurence Olivier calling him the greatest actor ever.

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?

Best Actor 1939: Results

5. Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms- Mickey Rooney I think he is just fine and functionally correct in his role. Nothing that much, but I really thought he did what he had to.

4. Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips-Robert Donat really is a strong winner showing his transition from a young man, to an old teacher brilliantly. He handles all of Chips changes throughout his years brilliantly, and gives a very memorable performance.

3. Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights- Heathcliff is a very dramatic character who certainly is an Archetype but Olivier does not stop this from giving a great performance. He is perfect at first as the romantic lead than his transitions brilliantly and truly effectively as the dark and cold Heathcliff.

2. James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington- James Stewart using his charm which only has really gives a very strong performance. Stewart really is great in his way as the innocent Smith, to his transition to the lone man fighting for what is right.

1. Clark Gable in Gone With The Wind- Clark Gable gives a truly legendary performance as Rhett Butler. Rhett is made is into the extremely memorable character by Gable. Gable is able to stand out in this epic, and stand with Vivien Leigh which is an incredible achievement. An iconic performance that is truly a great performance. This whole year was a great year for acting performances, and each would have been deserving in any year, but I feel Gable happens to be the most powerful, most effective performance, and really was the most challenging character. For such achievement Gable becomes my second two time lead winner now tying with Walter Huston.

Deserving Performances:
John Wayne in Stagecoach

Best Actor 1939: Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms

Mickey Rooney received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Mickey Moran in Babes in Arms.

Babes in Arms is an okay musical film, with a pretty standard plot, and with musical numbers that either hit or miss.

Mickey Rooney plays Mickey Moran a young second generation vaudeville performer who is trying to find success as an entertainer by making a show with the second generation performers. Rooney's character here is the type that he played many times in his younger years. The musical performer of the young man who has the dream to be a big success. His character is not exactly that complicated of a person but then again he hardly needs to be. 

Rooney just plays Moran in the way that he should be played which is with a whole lot of energy. Rooney really does not stop moving in this performance, and does infuse the right type of energy into the role.  He certainly never seems to be bored while playing the part,  and that does work well for his character. He is always singing, moving or doing something, with Moran, which seems to say that Rooney certainly is working to making his performance as enjoyable as possible. He certainly tries everything in this performance to be entertaining, whether it is singing, dancing, or even trying for comedy with imitations such as when he imitates Co-Nominee Clark Gable.

Rooney I have to give credit here for always keeping a passion in his performance for every scene. He never slows down in this performance. He is always trying for something, I must say he does not always succeed, but in a film like that I am glad he is trying to put that sort of energy into the mix. He never ever falls completely flat, nor does he become really annoying, which he certainly could have become. His performance certainly does succeed in a functional sort of way, in that the performance is not a truly great performance, as either a musical/comedy performance, or as a dramatic performance after all the most dramatic scene he has is his impassioned speech about wanting to be an entertainer, but for the film, this performance could not really be better. It is a performance for clear entertainment purposes, and succeeds on that level fairly well, and it simply serves its function as it should.

Best Actor 1939

And The Nominees Were:

James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights 

 Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips

 Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms

Clark Gable in Gone With The Wind

So will it be one of the three screen legends, the then young star, or the actor who should be far better remembered than he is?

Best Supporting Actor 1979: Results

5. Melvyn Douglas in Being There- Melvyn Douglas is not bad ever in Being There but he never really does anything in the film. He has some nice talks and he plays the part as it should be but his character really requires nothing of him.

4. Mickey Rooney in The Black Stallion- Mickey Rooney is a very nice presence in this film. He plays a standard mentor/teacher role much better actually than he needed to. I like how he stayed quiet and just was a good part of the film.

3. Frederic Forrest in The Rose- Forrest is very good here and adds a lot to the film. I like how he underplays his role and shows a realistic portrait of a man who has gotten in a relationship with a women he cannot fully understand.

2. Justin Henry in Kramer Vs. Kramer- Henry is just about perfect in his role but he is always spot on. He is always real and seems really like a kid in this situation not some false movie kid. An important role to the film and Henry is completely up to his task.

1. Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now- Robert Duvall takes a risky approach to an odd ball of a character and his risk completely pays off. Duvall is perfect as Col. Killgore. He some how never seems false in a role of pure insanity. He is excellent because he makes Kilgore the most fascinating part of Apocalypse Now despite the shortness of his part. Robert Duvall therefore joins Laurence Olivier, Rod Stieger and Walter Huston as actors with two wins from me.

Deserving Performances:Frederic Forrest in Apocalypse Now
Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now

Best Supporting Actor 1979: Mickey Rooney in The Black Stallion

Mickey Rooney received his fourth and final Oscar nomination for portraying Henry Dailey in The Black Stallion.

Black Stallion is a some what interesting film about a boy and his wild horse, not great or anything special, but a nice film.

Mickey Rooney plays Henry Dailey a character who does not show up until the second half of the film. Henry Dailey is a retired horse race jockey who befriends and helps the boy. He helps him by trying to teach him to be a good jockey, and being able to compete in a horse race with his incredible fast horse. He is a mentor character who has his various scenes of training the boy and the horse and giving little motivational speeches. But do not forget he had his past in horse racing and has a possible regrets involving that.

Rooney plays a fairly standard role here but I like how he played it. He never over did the character. He never tried to over do the niceness of him or the way he trains. Rooney never tries to show off or steal scenes in this performance. He just wants to be a nice presence which he is. He never is great but he is always very realistic in his portrayal. He acts as warm and kind but never becomes an overly sentimental character. He shows the past of the character well, but does not over do his character's feeling about his past. Rooney never becomes amazing in his performance nor does he have to. He needs to be just a nice part of this nice story and that is exactly what he is.

Best Supporting Actor 1979

 And the Nominees Were:

Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now

Frederic Forrest in The Rose

Melvyn Douglas in Being There

Justin Henry in Kramer Vs. Kramer

Mickey Rooney in The Black Stallion

 Who do you Pick? What do you predict my ranking will be?