Best Supporting Actor 1954

[FilmFan720]

Just realized I never voted here...for Cobb, out of the three Waterfront men, mostly for lack of another spot to ever vote for him again.

[Big Magilla]

It should be noted that Tom Tully at the time of his nomination was the star of TV's The Lineup, a highly popular police procedural filmed on location in San Francisco. It first aired in October, 1954 and lasted six years, playing its last episode in February, 1960. That exposure likely aided his nomination. Ironically, fellow nominee Karl Malden would star in the similarly themed and highly popular Streets of San Francisco that would run for five years in the 1970s and lead to his becoming the spokesman for American Express and eventually President of the Academy.

[The Original BJ]

It seems like many actors nominated for brief roles show up later in their films and get key dramatic scenes; Tom Tully is the rarity in that his nominated work appears in The Caine Mutiny's opening and then he's gone. Which is to say, rather than finding him a standout in a brief climactic moment, I barely even registered him before he disappeared from the movie.

I find Edmond O'Brien virtually indefensible as a winner. He at least has a decent sized part, and it's not like he's actively bad in the movie. But The Barefoot Contessa is such a shallow piece, and the actors have to utter such overwritten dialogue, no one comes off particularly dazzling. This is the kind of performance I could maybe imagine winning in a bum year, but given that this is a year with On the Waterfront, his victory makes no sense.

Because I think all three men in Waterfront are superb, and it's essentially a toss-up as to which I'd choose. Rod Steiger is solid throughout, and then gets a scene legendary for its acting, in which he holds his own beautifully with Marlon Brando. Lee J. Cobb is a terrific villain, but as in 12 Angry Men, he's clearly one with human motivations, and he too gets a terrific acting showcase in the film's final moments. And Karl Malden, who plays his priest like an average guy just trying to do the right thing, gets a series of commanding speeches that he delivers with great power.

I voted for Malden, because I think he has the most dominant role of the three, but his co-stars would be just as worthy.

[Mister Tee]

Has anyone actually watched The Caine Mutiny end-to-end recently? It seems to be shown frequently on weekends on TCM, but I've always come in a half hour or so late, which is to say past Tom Tully's appearance. A few weeks ago, though, I happened to have it on from the beginning and, you know what? I found Tully the life of the party -- his performance was by far the most engaging thing about the film. I'm not talking He Was Robbed or anything, but, for the first time in decades, I wasn't baffled by his nomination.

The Barefoot Contessa was about the point where Joseph Mankiewicz crossed the line from dazzling dialogue writer to purveyor of purple prose. The speeches in this movie try so damn hard, in the service of such a trashy plot, that it slips into high camp. Edmond O'Brien's sweaty press agent is amusing but, if one wants him to win an Oscar, it's probably better to wait a decade.

Anyway, On the Waterfront deserves to win this category, though the obvious dispute over which entrant should prevail probably cost the film at the Oscars and remains an issue here. I generally find Karl Malden the most sanctimonious character in the film, so no go for him. Steiger has the legendary taxi scene, and a generally restrained air that he lost a shis career went on. But I've taken care of Steiger in the lead actor slot, so let's go for the formidable Lee J. Cobb in his best film role.

[ITALIANO]

Tom Tully has a very, very short role at the beginning (and, again, at the very end) of The Caine Mutiny. Either Fred MacMurray or Jose Ferrer should have been nominated in his place for the same movie.

Edmund O'Brien has a showy role in The Barefoot Contessa, a movie which is more famous than really good; I'm sure that many members of the Academy recognized in his character aspects of a certain Hollywood type they knew well. It's a good performance, but I don't think more-than-nomination worthy.

And On the Waterfront, like it or not, is SO well-acted. Three great actors, three memorable characters. For me it's between Lee J. Cobb and Rod Steiger - both giving powerful, though very different, performances. Cobb has a bigger part, Steiger is in the most unforgettable scene, by now a classic. I'll pick Steiger, but wouldn't be sorry if Cobb wins.

[Reza]

Voted for Karl Malden.

My picks for 1954:

Karl Malden, On the Waterfront
Fredric March, Executive Suite
Robert Morley, Beat the Devil
Peter Lorre, Beat the Devil
Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront

The 6th Spot: Rod Steiger, On the Waterfront

[Big Magilla]

William Holden was certainly great in The Country Girl, but let's remember that from 1945 to sometime in the 1970s the studios were required to submit lists of players who should be considered lead and who should be considered supporting in each of their eleigible films. There's no way Paramount would have submitted their then biggest star in support. It's probably the same reason why Fred MacMurray wasn't nominated for his great protrayal of the cowardly heel in Columbia's The Caine Mutiny for what would have been a much more deserved nomination than Tom Tully's for his virtual walk-on as the ship's likeable captain who is succeeded by the mad Captain Queeg played by Humphrey Bogart in his last great role.

I am not a fan of Edmond O'Brien's oily press agent in The Barefoot Contessa or of the film itself for that matter, but I have liked O'Brien in so many other fims that I can't really begrudge him his win.

Of the three supporting actors nominated for On the Waterfront, Karl Malden's waterfront priest is by far the strongest and easily gets my vote. I think it's one of his two finest performances on screen, the other being as Jimmy Piersall's father in robert Mulligan's Fear Strikes Out three years hence.

[ksrymy]

Haven't seen Tully but I highly doubt it will effect my decision.

I have always liked Edmond O'Brien and am very glad he has an Oscar and his sly journalist in The Barefoot Contessa is wonderful. He's sharp, witty, and a great supporting character.

But then there's On the Waterfront which has been one of my favorite movies since I watched it for a History of Film class my sophomore year of high school. Malden is great here as the dockside preacher desperately trying to reform the mob and dock workers and his sermons are just lovely . This is far superior to his work in Streetcar and I really think this could be his best role.

Steiger is my male version of Beatrice Straight. He has pretty much one scene in the movie but creates a dynamic, fully-rounded character in just so many minutes. I still hold the cab scene in this film to be one of the ten best scenes in cinema history. It's so well executed especially on Steiger's part. Scratch that. All on Steiger's part.

And then there's Cobb. An actor who plays angry so damn well. How he was never nominated for 12 Angry Men still blows my mind on a Shirley MacLaine Postcards from the Edge snubbery kind of way. His Johnny is a great mob boss and he was highly original without falling too heavily into a stereotypical gangster accent and not having the traditional looks of a mob boss we'd seen in men like Cagney and Robinson. He's marvelous in his many scenes.

So it's really hard for me to pick here. I've already voted for Malden but would have no problem voting for him again. I did not vote for Steiger for The Pawnbroker or In the Heat of the Night so this is my last chance to honor him. But it's the same dilemma for Cobb since I don't plan on voting for him in 'The Brothers Karamazov.

I'll ultimately cast my vote for Cobb since Steiger had a stronger nomination in The Pawnbroker, I've voted for Malden already, and I want to make up for the lack of a nomination for Cobb in 12 Angry Men. I'll finally vote for my politics instead of who I actually think deserved it (and I expect Malden to win here).

William Holden was a deserving nominee for either Sabrina or The Country Girl and Fredric March was pretty good stuff in Executive Suite as well. Peter Lorre was also deserving for Beat the Devil.

1. Karl Malden - On the Waterfront
2. Fredric March - Executive Suite
3. Lee J. Cobb -On the Waterfront
4. Rod Steiger - On the Waterfront
5. Peter Lorre - Beat the Devil

6. William Holden - The Country Girl/Sabrina