The nominees were ...
- Gary Cooper in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
- Walter Huston in Dodsworth
- Paul Muni in The Story of Louis Pasteur
- William Powell in My Man Godfrey
- Spencer Tracy in San Francisco
... when they should have been ...
- Charles Chaplin in Modern Times
- Gary Cooper in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
- Walter Huston in Dodsworth
- William Powell in My Man Godfrey
- Spencer Tracy in Fury
And the Oscar went to ...
Paul Muni in The Story of Louis Pasteur. Muni could be very effective in contemporary roles, as in Scarface and I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, but all of a sudden in the mid-'30s, Warner Bros. decided it wanted him to be George Arliss. He was cast in a series of biopics about historic figures: The Story of Louis Pasteur, The Life of Emile Zola, and Juarez. They brought out the worst of his tendency to overact, as did his portrayal of the Chinese hero of The Good Earth. But by the end of the 1930s, Muni was tired of movies and decided to return to the stage, and made only occasional film appearances thereafter.
... when it should have gone to ...
 |
| Ruth Chatterton and Walter Huston in Dodsworth |
 |
| Walter Huston and Mary Astor in Dodsworth |
Huston was never quite a movie star because he was an "actor's actor," meaning one whose refusal to overplay his roles won the admiration of his peers and the more discerning critics, but whose lack of a distinctive handsomeness didn't inspire people to line up at the box office. His first love was the stage, which he never abandoned for Hollywood, and his performance as the decent, intelligent Sam Dodsworth was first created for Broadway in 1934. It was by no means a flashy role, but it demanded what Huston gave it: a quiet, authoritative performance. Today, Huston may be best-known for founding an acting dynasty. His son, John Huston, directed him to an Oscar for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and fathered Pablo, Anjelica, Danny, and Tony Huston. Tony's son, and Walter's great-grandson, is the actor Jack Huston.
No comments:
Post a Comment