Best Supporting Actress 1965

1927/28 through 1997
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Best Supporting Actress 1965

Ruth Gordon - Inside Daisy Clover
4
15%
Joyce Redman - Othello
0
No votes
Maggie Smith - Othello
5
19%
Shelley Winters - A Patch of Blue
12
46%
Peggy Wood - The Sound of Music
5
19%
 
Total votes: 26

bizarre
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Re: Best Supporting Actress 1965

Post by bizarre »

I've only seen Wood, but there's no reason her stolid work should have been noticed over Eleanor Parker's dignified subtlety. She was the only genuinely human thing about The Sound of Music, which everyone here loves out of, I guess, nostalgia alone.

My picks:

1. Věra Křesadlová, Intimate Lighting
2. Eleanor Parker, The Sound of Music
3. Silvia Pinal, Simon of the Desert
4. Gio Petré, The Cats
5. Hiroko Shimizu, Pleasures of the Flesh
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Post by Cinemanolis »

MY TOP 5

Joan Blondell, The Cincinnati Kid
Vivien Leigh, Ship of Fools
Thelma Ritter , Boeing Boeing
Maggie Smith, Othello
Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue
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Post by Big Magilla »

From the American Theater Guide:

Wood, [Margaret] Peggy (1892–1978), singer and actress. The beautiful, versatile performer was born in Brooklyn and made her stage debut as a member of the chorus of Naughty Marietta (1910). She quickly rose to more important assignments, scoring a memorable success in Maytime (1917), in which she introduced “Will You Remember?” Wood starred in several more musicals before playing Portia in a 1928 mounting of The Merchant of Venice. After several major roles in London musicals, she returned to New York and appeared in such shows as Champagne, Sec (1933); as writer Mildred Watson Drake in Old Acquaintance (1940); and as the second wife Ruth Condomine in Blithe Spirit (1941). But Wood is probably best remembered for her eight‐year stint as Mama in the television series I Remember Mama. Autobiography: How Young You Look, 1940.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Peggy Wood was the daughter of a popular Manhattan columnist. Gifted with a lilting soprano voice, she began her stage career in musicals and operettas. Her chief Broadway fame rested in multilayered dramatic roles, though she was also an expert comedienne when the occasion arose. In her heyday, Wood was a member of the New York "intellectual" circuit, making occasional lunchtime stopovers at the Algonquin Round Table. A star on stage, Wood seldom appeared in anything larger than supporting roles in films; for example, she had only one scene as the sympathetic central-casting secretary in David O. Selznick's A Star Is Born (1937). From 1949 through 1957, Wood starred on the popular TV series Mama, reportedly exerting a great deal of script and casting control. Peggy Wood's last screen appearance was as the Mother Abbess in the Oscar-winning musical The Sound of Music (1965); sadly, her once beautiful singing voice was a thing of the past, and she had to be dubbed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

She was also the second longest surviving member of the Agonquin Round Table:

http://algonquinroundtable.org/members.html
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Post by Damien »

ITALIANO wrote:And when did Peggy Wood do all this tv work? You all make it sound as if it's from the Middle Ages!
According to IMDb, Mama ran on television from 1949-56.

It's odd because I've seen plenty of TV shows from that period -- and not just the iconic ones like I Love Lucy, Dragnet and Ozzie and Harriet, but more obscure things such as I Married Joan, Beulah and The Stuart Erwin Show -- but Mama remains unknown to me.

Looking at Wood's filmography, she appeared in just 12 films prior to Sound of Music. The only notable one was the 1937 A Star Is Born -- she played the "Central Casting Clerk." Her movies ranged from 1919's Almost A Husband to 1960's The Story of Ruth, so it's not like she was needing a career award.

I have to admit I was shocked to see on IMDb that for "Climb Every Mountain," Wood's singing voice was dubbed by someone named Margery MacKay. Now it's one thing for a dubbed Deborah Kerr to be nominated for King and I because she's otherwise acting in almost the entirety of the movie. But for Wood to be nominated when her One Big Moment wasn't even her's leaves me aghast.
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Post by Big Magilla »

Feeling my age. Peggy Wood's Mama was live TV before they taped everything, although some of the kinescope recordings have apparently made it to DVD.

The little that's on YouTube doesn't do justice to the series or her work in it. She reportedly exercised creative control which included script re-writes and casting approval. The show had the Friday night at 8 P.M. spot on CBS for the length of its run.
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Post by ITALIANO »

Damien wrote:Peggy Wood is one nun I won't be voting for.
I knew!

And when did Peggy Wood do all this tv work? You all make it sound as if it's from the Middle Ages!
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Post by Reza »

Damien wrote:My Own Top 5:
5. Eleanor Parker in The Sound of Music
With all this rubbish about Peggy Wood going on I completely forgot about Eleanor Parker's delicious performance in The Sond of Music. She gets on my list.
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Post by Damien »

Peggy Wood is one nun I won't be voting for. She has practically nothing to do, except sing "Climb Every Mountain," which is just about Rodgers and Hammerstein at their nadir -- the song is almost as lugubriously treacly as "You'll Never Walk Alone." Like Tee, Peggy Wood's pre=Sound of Music career has no resonance for me (I've never even seen a clip from her TV series), but I do recall at the time of these awards, my father said, "They'll probably give it to Peggy Wood because she's Peggy Wood," a comment which completely baffled me.

The Othello actresses are fine, but it's a static filmed stage play and they give stage -- not film -- performances. I remember seeing the trailer for Othello back in the day numerous times (as it was being presented as a Special Event, not just another movie) and my 10-year-old self thought that it looked stupid, like some boring presentation of the Hallmark Hall of Fame.

Ruth Gordon is terrific in Inside Daisy Clover, but she doesn't quite have the impact one associates with deserving winners.

When I saw A Patch of Blue as a kid, I was convinced that Shelley Winters was one of our very greatest actresses. Of course, I let go of that idea a long, long time ago, but when I revisited A Patch of Blue, I was still very impressed by the complete abandon with which she threw herself completely in becoming a vile harridan. The script doesn't keep her character interesting as the films goes along, but the actress herself never misses a beat, playing what would be just about the most hideous screen mother until Mo'niqye showed up in 2009. Extra credit for Shelley for playing a role that was so not her -- in real life, she was very involved in progressive politics and the civil rights movement. She gets my vote enthusiastically.

My Own Top 5:
1. Shelley Winters in A Patch of Blue
2. Martita Hunt in Bunny Lake Is Missing
3. Pamela Franklin in The Nanny
4. Paula Prentiss in What's New, Pussycat?
5. Eleanor Parker in The Sound of Music




Edited By Damien on 1279344497
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Post by Big Magilla »

Mister Tee wrote:Peggy Wood had two scenes and was, at least for those of us without TV memories to gild the lily, unmemorable.
I can recall at least five, including the first scene after the credits in which she sings "(How Do You Solve a Problem Like) Maria" with the other nuns; the scene where she sends Maria out in the world; the scene where she sends her out again after singing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", the wedding sequence and the final scene or scenes.

As for Othello, I always thought of this as the film that exemplifies the difference in taste between sophisticated New Yorkers and less sophisticated Hollywoodites who think anything with the name "Shakespeare" attached to it must be brilliant, or in modern-speak "awesome", even if they don't understand it.

Othello was given an Oscar qualifying run in L.A. run mid-December but did not open in New York until February, 1966 when it was largely panned by the New York critics, Bosley Crowther in the Times even going so far as to call Olivier's performance "bizarre".
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Post by Mister Tee »

1965 is to the 60s what 1985 is to the 80s -- the bottom of a trough. (At least in the 60s there was quick renewal, as 1967 inaugurated a new era. The 80s were lackluster end to end) But picking the best in these years '63-'66 brings to mind the old saw about the least ugly child being the family beauty.

Peggy Wood had two scenes and was, at least for those of us without TV memories to gild the lily, unmemorable.

I've always wondered if Othello was an early version of Runaway Train, the film that famously got nominations because for a period it was the only movie available for stranded Academy members. A great play, of course, but barely a movie at all, and the performances weren't exactly rescaled for film -- yet just about the entire cast is represented. A mystery. And no votes from me.

I'm in tune with the general take on Ruth Gordon. 1) I like her; 2) the part's pretty small; and 3) she's such an obvious winner three years on that it seems silly to vote for her here.

Which brings us to Shelley Winters. I think this performance represents a dividing line in the career of the actress. In the early part of the film, I think she's perfectly good, and would be my easy choice for best among this year's nominees. Somewhere near the halway point, though, her character's Evil-osity becomes way too overbearing, and she turns into the harridan she was basically to play the rest of her life. This keeps me from being an enthusiastic voter. But, clinging to that first hour and trying to overlook the rest, I click next to her name.
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Post by Reza »

ITALIANO wrote:Seriously, I think Shelley Winters deserves at least one Oscar and this - even if only by default - is the place to give it to her.

I totally agree with Italiano's assessment. Lol. I've voted for her too over the rest of this bunch who are really not that interesting.

My top 5:

Joan Blondell, The Cincinnati Kid
Vivien Leigh, Ship of Fools
Maggie Smith, Young Cassidy
Shelley Winters, A Patch of Blue
Eleanor Parker, The Sound of Music




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Post by Precious Doll »

I was tempted to vote for Peggy Wood if only for her delivery of the line 'What is it you can't face?' to Julie Andrews, but common sense prevailed and it's Shelley for A Patch of Blue.

My own choices were:

1. Janice Rule for The Chase
2. Shelley Winters for A Patch of Blue
3. Charmian Carr for The Sound of Music
4. Claire Bloom for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
5. Angie Dickinson for The Chase
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Post by ITALIANO »

Shelley Winters was just being honest - this is the kind of year when "null vote" should be the most dignified reaction. But as I'm not very dignified - and, most importantly, there must be someone who doesn't vote for The Sound of Music - I will still cast my vote.

Peggy Wood? No.

You know that this category is in trouble when they nominate not one, but two actresses from what is essentially a filmed play. In this case the play was great, but this doesnt mean that it works as a movie - as THIS movie. And Joyce Redman must have been, in Oscar history, the nominee who was most sure she WOULDN'T win - not a chance, really, and not because her acting was bad (it wasn't). As for Smith, I can imagine that, seen on stage, and on a London stage especially, at a distance, her performance must have been believable and even affecting; but movies are a more realistic medium, and let's face it, Maggie Smith isn't Desdemona.

Nobody dislikes Ruth Gordon, and for good reasons - she had this odd, eccentric quality which made most of her characters rather unique and memorable. This is also true of her crazy mother in Inside Daisy Clover - a short (she dies quite soon, if I remember correctly) but impressive turn (the rest of the movie is Natalie Wood, and not that interesting). But of course we'll have another chance to vote for her, for a much better performance in a much better movie.

So we are left with Shelley Winters. I know, she's not much liked here, and I can even understand why - late in her career especially she became a caricature, and not always an intentional, funny one. But she could be good, excellent even, when she had the right role and, even more important, the right director (Kubrick, but not only Kubrick, did wonders with her). A Patch of Blue isn't a good movie and her performance is one-note, but I don't think another actress would have been much better with a character without subtext as the one she had to deal with in this movie. Also, let's face it, we Italians have a soft spot for Shelley Winters - this crazy blond American who came here so often, made several movies here (some good, like Time of Indifference or Gran Bollito), married our most handsome actor (and one of our most sophisticated intellectuals, a man of immense culture) - and yet never understood anything about Italy. I mean, honestly, it takes a special talent. We found all this very endearing - we liked her. Seriously, I think Shelley Winters deserves at least one Oscar and this - even if only by default - is the place to give it to her.




Edited By ITALIANO on 1279267038
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Post by Big Magilla »

I never thought Shelley Winters gave the best supporting actress performance this year, but when she declared she knew she'd win because "the competition was lousy", she was not only being rude and insulting to four women who could act rings around her, but showed herself to be as crass and heartless as the character she was playing in ]i]A Patch of Blue[/i].

Maggie Smith gave a performance of such devastating brilliance you had to know you were in the presence of someone who would very shortly be hailed as one of the great actresses of her time. I'm not speaking of her Desdemona in Othello, but of her Nora, the love of emerging playwright Sean O'Casey's life, who rejects his proposal because she is afraid marriage would derail his career in Young Cassidy. Her last scene is one of the two highlights of the film. If she were to be nomianted this year, it should have been for that performance.

The other highlight is Flora Robson's death scene, one of only two scenes in the film directed by John Ford whose illness forced him to turn the reigns over to Jack Cardiff.

Robson might well have also have been nominated as well for her poor but proud mother of the playwright who dies as she lived, without fuss. The British acting legend had added immeasurably to many films over the course of four decades, and this was easily one of her best performances.

Joan Blondell had her best role in twenty years as the wisecracking card dealer in The Cincinnati Kid, a performance that won her the National Board of Review award and a Golden Globe nomination, but shockingly nothing from the Academy.

Vivien Leigh, in her last film, gave one of her best performances as an aging matron in Ship of Fools, though her top billing might have precluded her from being nominated in support.

Thelma Ritter had her last Oscar caliber role as the put-upon housekeeper in Boeing Boeing.

Ruth Gordon returned to screen acting for the first time since 1943 to play Natalie Wood's demented mother in Inside Daisy Clover winning a Golden Globe for her performance. In the interim she had continued her enormously successful stage career and had won three Oscar nominations for writing the screenplays for A Double Life, Adam's Rib and Pat and Mike. Ironically it was the role she wrote for fellow nominee Shelley Winters in A Double Life that made audiences sit up and take notice of the blond bombshell for the first time.

Peggy Wood was a well known operetta star for whom Noel Coward wrote Bitter Sweet but reached the pinnacle of her success as the strong-willed Norwegian matriarch in TV's Mama, a television mainstay from 1948 to 1957.

Her casting as the knowing Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music was an inspired choice by director Robert Wise who rejected the overt campaigning of singing legend Kate Smith. Smith no doubt would have done full justice to "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" but I doubt she would have made as much of an impact in the dramatic scenes. For anyone who remembered Mama, Wood's scenes with Julie Andrews brought back instant memories of the many scenes of her gentle encouragement of her daughters in that long running show.

Joycwe Redman was a bit too theatrical for my tastes in Othello.

g strongly were Vivien Leigh essentially reprising her Mrs. Stone in Ship of Fools and

Sidney Poitier and Winters were both quite good as the respective representatives of good and evil in A Patch of Blue but Elizabeth Hartman, justly nominated as the sensitive blind girl, and Wallace Ford who should have been nominated as Winters' alcoholic father, gave the film's best performances in my estimation.

I support the nominations of both Gordon and Wood, but I would replace Winters and Redman with Blondell and Robson and nominate or Smith for that other film.

I would vote for Joan Blondell is she had been nominated, but since she hadn't, it leaves me a choice between Gordon and Wood. Since I know I will be voting for Ruth Gordon for a much better film shortly, I cast my vote here for Peggy Wood.




Edited By Big Magilla on 1295214645
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