Best Actor versus Best Actress-- who's the best?

[TopBilled]

8 hours ago, skimpole said:

I suppose the best way is to compare the performances year by year:

1927/1928  Emil Jannings isn't bad in The Last Command, but Janet Gaynor is more striking in Street Angel and Seventh Heaven

Winner:  Gaynor

My choice.  I chose James Murray in The Crowd, but Maria Falconnetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc is transcendental

Winner:  Falcontetti

1928/1929  I haven't seen In Old Arizona

My Choice:  Buster Keaton in The Cameraman is actually in one of my least favorite of his features.  Louise Brooks is so much better in Pandora's Box.

Winner:  Brooks

1929/1930  I don't really have a preference for George Arliss (Disraeli) or Norma Shearer (The Divorcee).  Likewise, I'd have to rewatch The Blue Angel (Jannings) and The Diary of a Lost Girl (Brooks) to see what was best.

1930/1931  Don't have a preference between Lionel Barrymore (A free Soul) and Marie Dressler (Min and Bill)  But Peter Lorre is a clear favorite (M) over Marlene Dietrich (Morocco). 

Winner:  Lorre

1931/1932  With two best actor winners, Wallace Berry is the clear winner over Helen Hayes' seduced and abandoned part.

Winner:  Berry

With both of my choices from One Hour With You, Maurice Chevalier is the easy winner as the more important character

Winner:  Chevalier

So for the first five years of Oscar:  1 Woman, 1 Man, 3 Undecided

For my choices 2 Women, 2 Men, 1 Undecided.

For 31/32 you didn't mention Fredric March. He doesn't rate with you...?

[TopBilled]

30 minutes ago, txfilmfan said:

Interesting that this discussion is occurring.  The Lucille Lortel Awards, for off-Broadway, announced in the last week that they will have gender-blind awards going forward.   Their new acting categories are:

• Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
• Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical
• Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play
• Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play
• Outstanding Ensemble (completely new category)

In that case, do you think it may be political? That they are trying to make it easier for non-binary actors to fit into an acting category? Or is it really about choosing the most outstanding individual?

[txfilmfan]

1 minute ago, TopBilled said:

In that case, do you think it may be political? That they are trying to make it easier for non-binary actors to fit into an acting category? Or is it really about choosing the most outstanding individual?

Based on their press release, more the former than the latter.

[JamesJazGuitar]

11 minutes ago, txfilmfan said:

Based on their press release, more the former than the latter.

I heard it was all about saving on the cost of making the awards.      

Joking of course,  but  the end result is a reduction of awards given:  (unless they created new categories).

I can support this change since the overall completion between actors is similar.      But such a change (and others being proposed)  would make no sense in Sports.

 

[TopBilled]

I guess we could look at it in reverse. If there had been a category for Best Female Director, or Best Female Producer...would the studios have given more jobs to women in the 40s and 50s, in order to win such awards?

[JamesJazGuitar]

2 minutes ago, TopBilled said:

I guess we could look at it in reverse. If there had been a category for Best Female Director, or Best Female Producer...would the studios have given more jobs to women in the 40s and 50s, in order to win such awards?

Great point and one I didn't consider.