Best Supporting Actress 1973

[Big Magilla]

Here's a question for those who were around at the time. There is, of course, a lot ot talk about how O'Neal was-likely-to/should-have-been nomintaed in the Lead Actress Category. Was there any talk at the time that Houseman hade a chance to be nominated and win in the Lead Actor category?

No, although he was billed over the title with Timothy Bottoms and Lindsay Wagner in The Paper Chase, Houseman was better known as a producer and was, in fact, appearing in only his third film in thirty-six years in front of the camera and the first one in which he had billing. Ironically, however, he was replacing James Mason, who given the fact he was a much bigger name, may have been nominated in lead.

[Greg]

Here's a question for those who were around at the time. There is, of course, a lot ot talk about how O'Neal was-likely-to/should-have-been nomintaed in the Lead Actress Category. Was there any talk at the time that Houseman hade a chance to be nominated and win in the Lead Actor category?

[Mister Tee]

We should point out that the combined endorsements of Magilla, Damien, Italiano and myself -- certainly the most prolix of the commenters -- weren't enough to push Mildred Natwick over the top. But it may be that some of the postings push leaners in one direction or another.

kaytodd, I think it's absolutely impossible to say what the outcome of the best actress race would have been had O'Neal been properly placed. On the positive side, there was far more enthusiasm for her work than for any of the five best actress nominees, and she had been actively discussed as a potential best actress winner since the film's debut. But the critics' awards gave her no attention, and at the Golden Globes -- where she was properly slated as lead actress comedy/musical -- she lost to Jackson. I don't think "Bogdanovich made the performance happen" buzz would have been so harmful, since this was not an era where we had Tom O'Neils inflating their own importance by chasing the story hourly. But the "she's just a child" factor might have been fatal in the end.

But here's an odd argument I'd make: though she ended up winning, I'm not sure Jackson wouldn't have been the omittee in the event of an O'Neal nomination. Now that Jackson's victory is in the books it's viewed as semi-inevitable, but, at the time, it was a Loretta Young/Farmer's Daughter level stunner. Sidney Skolsky, then the pre-emiment Hollywood conventional wisdom purveyor, had her least likely among the five nominees. And the other four candidates had far better reason to expect nominations -- Woodward had won NY, a traditional pass to a nod; Mason had taken the Globe; Burstyn fronted a cultural phenomenon; and Streisand was in an enormous popular hit. The contra side of that argument is, A Touch of Class -- despite tepid critical and box-office results -- somehow managed a best picture nomination, so maybe it had a strong enough pocket of support to get Jackson in regardless.

Anyway, you see how complicated it all is. O'Neal might have won if properly placed; she might have lost to Jackson; she might have lost to someone else. The world of hypotheticals is a vast one.

[Big Magilla]

Glenda Jackson's win in lead was a shock. She was the least likely of the nominees to have won for a retrograde piece of crap comedy, even if she was the best thing about the film whose Best Picture nomination was ridiculous.

Tatum should have replaced Marsha Mason in the line-up but Woodward or Burstyn should have won.

Would Tatum have won instead of Jackson? Probably not, but it was such a strange year in all the acting categories except Supporting Actor where John Houseman was the clear favorite, that anything is possible.



Edited By Big Magilla on 1284264689

[kaytodd]

I have to say I'm a little surprised that Tatum isn't doing better than 3 votes. I expected she and Sylvia Sidney would be neck and neck, not Sidney and Madeline Kahn.

I thought Tatum was very good in Paper Moon and, of that group of actresses, she was a deserving winner based on the quality of her performance. But I think the correct answer to the question "Which of these five actresses gave the best supporting performance?" was Madeline Kahn (Sylvia Sidney would also have been a good choice). Tatum gave a very good lead performance.

It is not Tatum's fault that the studio and AMPAS engaged in such foolishness. And it was not the first or last time it happened, especially with juvenile actors (who were Patty McCormack and Haley Joel Osment supporting?). But that is how I see it.

Here's a question for you: should Marsha Mason have been removed from the lead actress group and replaced with Tatum? Would Tatum have had a chance to beat Glenda Jackson? I always thought Glenda's award for A Touch of Class was one of those "change of pace" awards that are sometimes given out (think Charlize Theron's award for Monster). Many were surprised to see her do such a good job in a romcom. But she did not dominate the film like Tatum did hers. I suppose Tatum's youth and the stories about how Bogdonavich had to manipulate the performance would have worked against her. I do not think Tatum would have won but I think she would have been a deserving winner. Anyone agree?



Edited By kaytodd on 1281892654

[Eric]

Anyway, it appears a large chunk of Sylvia Sidney's performance is available in clips on YouTube, and though I admit it's not fair to judge her performance based on these out-of-context snippets, I just don't see how this is anything beyond a "nomination for old times sake" situation. (And, even then, her two-scene part in Beetlejuice makes as much an impression.)

Color me surprised that a Hollywood elder tottering into a square movie and nattering on about the lamentable loss of gentility in today's modern world would curry favor with so many on this board.

[Reza]

Have to say it's interesting to see how the vote totals change as board regulars throw their weight around in the course of these threads.

Yes... and since Big Magilla is the first to express his opinion, you can easily predict the final outcome

So what you are saying is that Big has the ''power'' to influence the vote?

[ITALIANO]

Have to say it's interesting to see how the vote totals change as board regulars throw their weight around in the course of these threads.

Yes... and since Big Magilla is the first to express his opinion, you can easily predict the final outcome

[Big Magilla]

I have to say I'm a little surprised that Tatum isn't doing better than 3 votes. I expected she and Sylvia Sidney would be neck and neck, not Sidney and Madeline Kahn.

[Damien]

Have to say it's interesting to see how the vote totals change as board regulars throw their weight around in the course of these threads.

My girl Candy still only has my one solitary vote.

[Eric]

Have to say it's interesting to see how the vote totals change as board regulars throw their weight around in the course of these threads.

[Big Magilla]

I wonder how many people today have even heard of, let alone seen, Blume in Love. I ask that as one who found it, despite flaws, a fascinating piece of work.

I suspect everyone here has seen at least one scene from it - the one featured in Eyes Wide Shut.

[Mister Tee]

Another foreign-language supporting actress I'd thought might have a shot was Gunn Walgren in Fanny and Alexander, given the film's broad Academy popularity and the matriarchal nature of the role.

And a recent entry I'd thought had a shot at cracking supporting actor was Rodrigo de la Serna in The Motorcycle Diaries, considering the film's screenplay and song nods. But he proved, once again, how difficult it is for supporting players not in English to get attention.

The Assassination of Trotsky attention Cortese got from both major critics' groups in '72 might have been a small factor in her big '73 wins; it helps to be fresh in critics' minds. (As I always thought Burstyn in '71 benefitted from her Alex in Wonderland attention the year prior)

1973 was the brief period when Marsha Mason was viewed as promising rather than tiresome. I wonder how many people today have even heard of, let alone seen, Blume in Love. I ask that as one who found it, despite flaws, a fascinating piece of work. In fact, I thought Kris Kristofersson's performance in it was by far the best portrait of a flower child in any movie of the era.

[Big Magilla]

Very interesting, Mike. Thanks for posting, and of course that was P.J. Johnson, not CCH Pounder who played Imogene. I should have remembered as I have a friend whose name is is P.J. Johnson. Her name is Phyllis, but she goes by P.J.

It's also interesting to note that Candy Clark received fewer points than her two American Graffiti co-stars, Cindy Williams and Mackennzie Phillips.

I'm not familiar with a film called Love and don't know anything about Mari Tocsik except that she's a well-known actress in her native Hungary where she's still performing, which I learned only by looking her up on the IMDb.

Marsha Mason did at the time did seem to impress the critics more with her supporting role in Blume in Love than her Oscar nominated lead in Cinderella Liberty.

No Kate Reid in A Delicate Blance despite stealing the film from Katharine Hepburn. I would have thought she'd have gotten at least one vote though it is nice to see Geraldine Fitzgerald mentioned for The Last American Hero.

[Mike Kelly]

I have an old National Society of Film Critics Book on their 1973 Awards. Thought it might be interesting to post their complete results for Supporting Actress:

32 Points - Valentina Cortese - Day for Night
16 Points - Mari Torocsik - Love
11 Points - Sylvia Sidney - Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams
07 Points - P.J. Johnson - Paper Moon
05 Points - Cindy Williams - American Graffiti
04 Points - Diane Keaton - Sleeper
04 Points - Andrea Ferreol - La Grand Bouffe
03 Points - Irm Herman - The Merchant of Four Seasons
03 Points - Marsha Mason - Blume in Love
03 Points - Nina Van Pallandt - The Long Goodbye
03 Points - Amy Robinson - Mean Streets
02 Points - Eileen Brennan - The Sting
02 Points - Mackenzie Phillips - American Graffiti
02 Points - Janice Rule - Kid Blue
01 Point - Candy Clark - American Graffiti
01 Point - Dorothy Tristan - Scarecrow
01 Point - E.J. Peaker - The All-American Boy
01 Point - Clarice Taylor - Five on the Black Hand Side
01 Point - Geraldine Fitzgerald - The Last American Hero
01 Point - Madeline Kahn - Paper Moon
01 Point - Anne Kreis - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me
01 Point - Daisy Granados - Memories of Underdevelopment
01 Point - Rachel Roberts - O Lucky Man!

Tatum O'Neal received no votes from the NSFC in either actress category. Paper Moon was shut out of every other category except Cinematography where Lazlo Kovacs received 2 Points.