Best Supporting Actress 1945: Joan Lorring - The Corn Is Green

'The Corn Is Green is the worst film of Bette Davis', say many people. I can't actually say that, because I have not seen many Bette Davis's films, but the fact is, that The Corn Is Green is really a boring and not very well done film. It's trying to be funny and touching, but it's not. I didn't care about the characters and I was bored throughout the whole film. but there is one performance that is trying to save the film and that is really great.

Unfortunately, it's not Joan Lorring's performance, but Davis's. Lorring is playing a girl that falls in love with the boy that Bette Davis is teaching. But her performance is really annoying. You will remember her performance a very long time after watching the film, but just because it's terribly overacted. There is not a single believable, convincing, or realistic moment in her performance. She was trying to create a funny and an interesting character, but she was just embarrassing, instead. There is only one good thing about this performance and it's the fact that Lorring was playing the same character throughout the film (unlike for example John Wayne in True Girt, etc.). But that's all. I can't even choose a best scene, so bad she was.
I have to admit that I thought I will like this performance before watching the film, because I used to like some hated performances before. But she really was bad.
What to say at the end? If there existed Razzie Awards in 1945, Joan Lorring would be the third person to be nominated for Oscar and Golden Raspberry for the same performance...

Best Supporting Actress 1945: Angela Lansbury - The Picture of Dorian Gray

Some time ago I had to read a shortened version of The Picture of Dorian Gray to school, so I didn't enjoy the film very much, because it couldn't surprise me, but it was fine.

Angela Lansbury's character of Sibyl doesn't have a huge presence in the film. She spends on the screen very short time and if I said Eve Arden didn't have very much to do in Mildred Pierce, Lansbury has nothing to do. She's only there to be charmed, then happy and then sad. But almost the whole time of her performance she keeps the same innocent face. She showed us her character half-sidely. Everyone has its good side and the bad side, but Lansbury's portrayal made Sibyl to be only good.
But a little bit I understand this way or portraying. Sibyl was supposed to be the first good thing Dorian meets in his life. The film didn't give you many possibilities to show us Sibyl as a person, but she didn't even try.
Her best moment would probably be her first scene, where she is singing and she sees Dorian the first time.
In the end I must say that Angela Lansbury wasn't actually bad in The Picture of Dorian Gray. She was good. But I don't think her performance was something that needed to be awarded...

Best Supporting Actress 1945: Ann Blyth - Mildred Pierce

 

Ann Blyth has got really more screen time than previously reviewed Eve Arden. She was playing Veda, Mildred's aloof daughter.

I have to admit that I really loved her after her first scene. It's at the beginning, when Mildred comes home and Veda runs to her frightened. Many (especially young) actresses would easily get into overacting in this moment, but Ann did that not. It was the first scene. The other scenes were really good, but they weren't any special for me. And it was happening almost throughout the whole film. Then came some scene, which was really great, but then again much scenes were just normal.
I just think that she was playing Veda as an innocent young girl, but she really was hurting her mother. In this way I liked more the portrayal(s) of Veda in the new TV series. She somehow failed to give us a complex performance. The way she was behaving depended on the lines she had written in the script, but it should depend on the character she was playing. Sometimes she was an innocent angel and sometimes a bloody devil.
I must say at the end that I wasn't disappointed by with performance, at all. It was fine and some of her moment were really very good, but some things she didn't succeed. And that's a pity...

Best Supporting Actress 1945: Eve Arden - Mildred Pierce

It's a little bit ridiculous that I have seen the new version of Mildred Pierce with Kate Winslet before this old and original version and so I won't avoid comparing, but it probably doesn't matter. Both versions are really great and I enjoyed them very much.

Eve Arden doesn't have very much to do in Mildred Pierce, actually. She doesn't interfere with the main plot of the film. She is only the best friend of Mildred. Sometimes she comes, says something about job, then about Mildred's life and goes away. She doesn't have many time on the screen to spend, but she really uses every minute (out of eight).
Though short screen time, Eve Arden never failed to create a complex and interesting character. In the hands of any other actress Ida would be a completely forgettable character. But here it's different. She was really enjoying every moment of the screen.
It's even hard to choose one best moment of her performance, because every moment is very similar to the other. But it would perhaps be her second scene, when Mildred comes to the restaurant and asks for the job.
So, what to say at the end? You have probably noticed that I liked her, but will I pick her? God only knows...

Next Year: Best Supporting Actress 1945

The Nominees:

Angela Lansbury - The Picture of Dorian Gray

Ann Blyth - Mildred Pierce

Anne Revere - National Velvet

Eve Arden - Mildred Pierce

Joan Lorring - The Corn Is Green

So, who do you think will I pick? Will it be one of the Mildred Pierce ladies? Or will I pick the great Angela Lansbury? Or will I agrre with the Academy? Or will I shock by picking Joan Lorring? Write your prediction for my pick and ranking in comments... :) 

The Future of the blog

The first of all I would like to say sorry for the long time it took to do best supporting actor 1981. I had (and unfortunately still have) a lot to do at school, so I did not have so much time to watch films and write here. The other reason, why I did not even have the spirits to write, I will write about later.
As the title of this article says, I have been thinking about the future of this blog. I really love writing about the Oscar-nominated performances, just like I love to watch them. But you will probably understand me, if I say that I do not have a motivation. There are only two people (Hello, Fritz and Cole and thank you :) who have written something in comments ever! There are very probably not people which are really interested in my blog. But if there are some that like it and visit it regularly, please, let me know about yourself in comments.
My blog will very probably go on, because I really like doing this and I cannot stop very easily, but my motivation to write will be very small and it can end up just like best supporting actor 1981.
I know that there are lots of mistakes on this blog, but I'm working on them (for example I deleted my old years (best actor 1967, best leading actress 2005, best supporting actor 2007, best supporting actress 2008 and best supporting actress 1997), because they were my first years and I didn't know how to do my blogging).
I also know that my English is not any great, but I'm trying. :)
So, what is the conclusion of this depression of mine? I'm planning some reconstruction of the blog (deleting old years, rating performances with Mo'Niques etc.) and so I would be really happy if you wrote in comments, what do you suggest me to do to make my blog better. What should I change, what do you like, what you don't like? I would really like to know that.
And you can also write, which year would you like me to do next.

Thank you very much for everything.

Best Supporting Actor 1981

5. Howard E. Rollins Jr. - Ragtime
I didn't find any performance from Ragtime except from Brad Dourif's to be worthy of a nomination. Rollins gives a very fine performance in Ragtime. His character is very likable and he knows it very well. His creation of Coalhouse Walker Jr. is very subtle. That wouldn't be bad, but there are some scenes, he should show us more in. For example the short scene of the funeral. We can't read his emotions from his look, as if he didn't care about what's going on. And there are more scenes like this in the film. His performance is good, but I think he got his nomination more because of the likability of the character.

4. Jack Nicholson - Reds
Reds is an extremely long film, which is saved only by the directing and the performances. Nicholson's portrayal of Eugene O'Neill is effective enough and he did exactly what the film wanted him to do. He makes his character very complex. Nicholson is a great actor and that is reflected in this performance. Some of his reactions I found too overacted, though, but it's still very fine performance...

3. Ian Holm - Chariots of Fire
The old trainer that takes only good guys, so they can win "him" a medal. That is a short characterization of Mr. Mussabini played by Ian Holm. And he played it really greatly. He completely understands his character and plays it with a real enthusiasm. Everything needed is in this performance. And his scene of training is just wonderful. On the other hand, his final scene in the bar in which he was supposed to be drunk, wasn't very good...

2. Sir John Gielgud - Arthur
Adorable creation. This is the best subtle performance I have ever seen. The subtlety is the best and the most important thing about it. He is funny and charming in every moment and I really have nothing against this performance. It really is wonderful in every aspect. Just watch the film and you will love this performance too...

1. James Coco - Only When I Laugh
It is very hard to choose one from Coco and Gielgud, but in this moment I am going with Coco, though he is the first person (out of two - the other is Amy Irving for her role in Yentl) to be nominated for Academy Awards and Razzie Awards for the same performance. But it seems to be a bad joke. He created a funny likable and entertaining character which you will almost certainly love. He is just simply adorable. I'm not saying he wasn't overacting sometimes, but it surely is very enjoying...