TopBilled

I appreciated the cinematography of THE BLACK BOOK. I thought Robert Cummings and Arlene Dahl were photographed very well.

I will have to put it on my Netflix queue. I will likely watch both versions back to back so I can study Dunaway's performances.

>Use Plain Text. Type a right arrow. Copy and paste the quote, then go down two lines to type your response. Thanks...I was wondering about too! What about posting photos? Can we still do that?

Thanks...that's the one with Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan, and I still haven't seen it yet.

Right. I think there have been a few 'good' upsets. If it was truly a popularity contest, then I think *Tom Cruise* would surely have won in 1989 for BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. In fact, he was favored to win by most critics. But somehow, the award for best actor that year did not go to him and went to *Daniel Day Lewis* instead for MY LEFT FOOT. I think Lewis' performance holds up remarkably well more than twenty years later, and he definitely was the best that year. Daniel Day Lewis has since received another Oscar for THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Tom Cruise still has yet to earn an Oscar.

Just stumbled across this interesting bit of trivia when I was looking something up for another thread: *Patrick Swayze* was paid $5 million to do a cameo in the prequel DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS. This was considerably more than the $200,000 he earned as the star in the original smash hit movie.

That seems to make sense, the Academy and its purpose has evolved. Of course, any time we talk about Oscar performances, there are going to be discussions about who should've been nominated or who should've won...but when we look at this group from the 40s, I think most of these recipients were very deserving.

I love it when Hollywood does this. It's a tip of the hat to film history and reverence to the performers who made the original version so special.

I was reading the filmography of *Terry Moore*, and I discovered that she appeared in the remake of MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. She is billed as Elegant Woman at Party. *Ann Sothern* was cast as the mother of her original character in the TV-movie remake of A LETTER TO THREE WIVES. *Barbara Billingsley* was hired to play Aunt Martha in the feature film version of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. *Elmo Lincoln* who appeared in the first screen version of TARZAN has an uncredited role as a fisherman in TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN. Both *Greg Peck* and *Robert Mitchum* are featured in the remake of CAPE FEAR. *Johnny Depp* will do a cameo in the upcoming big screen version of 21 JUMP STREET. There are probably more examples of this...

It's Diana Wynyard in the lead female role. The production airs on July 6th.

Yes, I appreciate your adding this historical information to the thread. But I think it probably belongs in a separate thread about the blacklist. One thing people need to realize is that Oscars are more than a proverbial pat on the back. They are also a way to promote the industry and function as a glorified advertisement for Hollywood product. It is an essential part of this business. We need the Oscars. Film is one of our great exports, and with all those people around the world watching the Oscar telecast each year, it aids our industry. We cannot overlook that fact. Conspiracies about the unions and the blacklist is a fairly separate topic. But again, those people were paid well, they earned awards and they chose to come back to Hollywood after the blacklist ended. They are a part of the industry and like anyone in the business, they have had to play by the rules or else leave permanently.

I believe we are going to have threads about Oscar performances in the 30s and in the 50s, and probably the 60s too. Check back for those...

The original British production of GASLIGHT from 1940 will air on TCM in the near future.

Thanks for taking the time to provide a detailed response. Just FYI, CASABLANCA did win for its year (the actors, however, were overlooked). With the exception of ALL ABOUT EVE, in 1950, most of the time the films that feature strong female leads do not nab Best Picture Oscar. The lead actresses win (Bette in JEZEBEL, Joan as MILDRED PIERCE, Olivia in THE HEIRESS) but the films themselves get snubbed. Most of the time the best picture winners are ones where men dominate the proceedings. I do like KINGS ROW a lot and think it deserves more praise. However, it's nearly ruined by the production code. It's one that needs to be remade so that the original text can be more faithfully interpreted. I also take issue with SUSPICION's botched ending again because of constraints imposed on it by the code.

I will be introducing some new threads in the future.

I think there are other ways to create categories. I feel we need to be able to better reference these titles by performer, not just by studio. Also, I would like to see DVD releases listed by genre. I do not think the average TCM viewer pays much attention to which studio made the film. They want to find a favorite star's DVDs or a certain type, like a bunch of screwball comedies or melodramas. Do you guys see what I am saying...? I like them listed by studio, because I appreciate studio output history, but I think we need multiple ways of referencing this information in this forum. The forum is big enough that we should be able to have some new threads that discuss these releases by performer, director and genre. Thanks.

I think you are bringing a more historical perspective into this discussion. That is good. However, it might be better if you mentioned writers you feel were overlooked by the Academy. Some of the blacklisted writers did earn Oscars. For instance, *Dalton Trumbo* received two Oscars, so he definitely was not overlooked.

As of 2009, there are now 10 Best Picture nominees.

The Year: *1940*. The Oscar: *REBECCA*...Psychological Thriller...Selznick/United Artists. The also-rans: ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO; THE GRAPES OF WRATH; THE GREAT DICTATOR; KITTY FOYLE; THE LONG VOYAGE HOME; OUR TOWN; THE PHILADELPHIA STORY; FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT; THE LETTER. The Year: *1941*. The Oscar: *HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY*...Drama...20th Century Fox. The also-rans: SUSPICION; CITIZEN KANE; HERE COMES MR. JORDAN; ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN; SERGEANT YORK; THE MALTESE FALCON; HOLD BACK THE DAWN; THE LITTLE FOXES; BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST. The Year: *1942*. The Oscar: *MRS. MINIVER*...War Drama/Melodrama...MGM. The also-rans: YANKEE DOODLE DANDY; KINGS ROW; WAKE ISLAND; RANDOM HARVEST; THE PIED PIPER; 49TH PARALLEL; THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS; THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES; THE TALK OF THE TOWN. The Year: *1943*. The Oscar: *CASABLANCA*...WWII Romance...Warners. The also-rans: THE HUMAN COMEDY; FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS; MADAME CURIE; THE OX-BOW INCIDENT; HEAVEN CAN WAIT; IN WHICH WE SERVE; THE SONG OF BERNADETTE; THE MORE THE MERRIER; WATCH ON THE RHINE. The Year: *1944*. The Oscar: *GOING MY WAY*...Musical Comedy-Drama...Paramount. The also-rans: WILSON, GASLIGHT; SINCE YOU WENT AWAY; DOUBLE INDEMNITY. The Year: *1945*. The Oscar: *THE LOST WEEKEND*...Social Message Drama...Paramount. The also-rans: SPELLBOUND; ANCHORS AWEIGH; MILDRED PIERCE; THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S. The Year: *1946*. The Oscar: *THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES*...Postwar Life Drama...Samuel Goldwyn/RKO. The also-rans: THE YEARLING; THE RAZOR'S EDGE; IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE; HENRY V. The Year: *1947*. The Oscar: *GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT*...Social Message Drama...20th Century Fox. The also-rans: CROSSFIRE; THE BISHOP'S WIFE; GREAT EXPECTATIONS; MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. The Year: *1948*. The Oscar: *HAMLET*...Historical Drama...Rank Organisation/Universal. The also-rans: THE RED SHOES; JOHNNY BELINDA; THE SNAKE PIT; TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. The Year: *1949*. The Oscar: *ALL THE KING'S MEN*...Political Drama...Columbia. The also-rans: A LETTER TO THREE WIVES; TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH; THE HEIRESS; BATTLEGROUND.

I think most of us understand the studio contract system. Look at that great talent *Ida Lupino*, assigned to such drivel as PILLOW TO POST during her time at Warners. But like you said, these troupers made the most of what was given to them. The other choice was to balk, be placed on suspension and lose pay.

I bet social anthropologists would have a field day combing through all these threads and posts.

Sounds like I really have something to look forward to...! Can't wait!

You can most certainly do something. You can act your heart out! Do you think young *Judy Garland* spent time worrying about her 7-year contract with L.B. Mayer? She had more important things to focus upon...she was going to practice those steps along the yellow brick road till her toes bled and be the best darn Dorothy she could be in MGM's THE WIZARD OF OZ. She made the most of the opportunities given her in all these contract assignments and for her trouble was awarded a special Juvenile Oscar.

Well, EGR was dying of cancer. I am sure when news of that spread around Hollywood, that is when the Academy decided it was time to pony up and give him something. EGR is one of those old-time actors that I think would go over well today within industry circles. He was very good at mentoring young male stars, and his technique as an actor was widely respected. If working in Hollywood today, he would probably be the male equivalent of Betty White, with all sorts of honors and jobs coming his way.