skimpole Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 ActorJacques Tati, Mr. Hulot's HolidayFred Astaire, The Band WagonChishu Ryu, Tokyo storyYves Montand, The Wages of FearCharles Boyer, The Earrings of Madame DeRunner-ups: William Holden (Stalag 13), James Stewart (The Naked Spur), Richard Widwark (Pickup on South Street), James Mason (Julius Caesar), Burt Lancaster (From Here to Eternity), Edmond O'Brien (The Bigamist), Arturo de Cordova (El), ActressDanielle Darrieux, The Earrings of Madame De..Cyd Charisse, The Band WagonMarilyn Monroe, Gentlemen Prefer BlondesChieko Higashiyama, Tokyo StoryJane Russell, Gentlemen Prefer BlondesRunner-ups: Audrey Hepburn (Roman Holiday), Harriet Andersson (Summer with Monika), Ida Lupino, Joan Fontaine (The Bigamist), Michiyo Kogure, Ayako Wakao (A Geisha), Lauren Bacall (How to Marry a Millionaire)Supporting ActorCharles Vanel, The Wages of FearJack Buchanan, The Band WagonOscar Levant, The Band WagonVittorio de Sica, The Earrings of Madame DeMarlon Brando, Julius CaesarRunner-ups: Eitaro Ozawa (Ugetsu), Robert Ryan (The Naked Spur), Frank Sinatra (From Here to Eternity), Charles Coburn (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), William Powell (How to Marry a Millionaire), Robert Strauss (Stalag 13), Charles Laughton (Young Bess)Supporting ActressNanette Fabray, The Band WagonSetsuko Hara, Tokyo Story Thelma Ritter, Pickup on South StreetAnn Miller, Kiss me KateKinuyo Tanaka, UgetsuRunner-ups: Mitsuko Mito (Ugetsu), Not seen: The Robe, The Moon is Blue, Mogambo, Torch Song, Hondo. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Thanks for reminding me that The Juggler, a little-known Kirk Douglas film, is definitely worth seeing. Somehow I forgot to include Deborah Kerr and Vittorio De Sica, and that has now been remedied. Swithin, thank you for remembering The Cruel Sea, another fine film with some of the usual suspects who have done the British WWII film proud over and over again. A plug for one of my two or three favorite Ingmar Bergman films: the depressingly bland British title Sawdust and Tinsel has won out over the exploitative American title The Naked Night. A more accurate translation would apparently be something like Sunset of a Clown or The Jester's Evening, much better titles. In any event, Sawdust and Tinsel ("Bleah!" as Snoopy would have said) is a terrific film, not least because of the sexy young Harriet Andersson. Just try taking your eyes off her. A traveling show which would scarcely make the D-List is about to fold. Harriet looks for another job, but has to escape the wiles of a predatory, if effete, actor (Hasse Ekman). Ake Gronberg, the main man of the show, wants to give it all up and return to the wife (Annika Tretow) he abandoned years ago. In a devastating scene, so well written, directed, and acted, she calmly tells him why the loneliness and pain of living without him is better than living with him. Anders Ek, as the clown, enlivens every moment he's on screen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 The New York Film Critics Circle Awards for 1953 were: Best Actor Burt Lancaster, From Here to Eternity* John Gielgud, Julius Caesar William Holden, Stalag 17 Best Actress Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday* Ava Gardner, Mogambo ————————————————————————————————— The National Board of Review Awards for 1953 were… Best Actor James Mason, Face to Face (52), The Desert Rats, Julius Caesar and The Man Between* Best Actress Jean Simmons, Young Bess and The Actress* 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoraSmith Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 ACTOR: 1. Montgomery Clift - From Here to Eternity 2. Marlon Brando - The Wild One 3. Burt Lancaster - From Here to Eternity 4. Gregory Peck - Roman Holiday 5. Fernandel - Le Boulanger de Valorgue 6. William Holden - Stalag 17 7. Glenn Ford - The Big Heat 8. James Mason - Julius Caesar 9. Fred Astaire - The Band Wagon 10. Montgomery Clift - I Confess ACTRESS: 1. Audrey Hepburn - Roman Holiday2. Deborah Kerr - From Here to Eternity3. Marilyn Monroe - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 4. Gina Lollobrigida - Bread, Love and Dreams 5. Simone Signoret - Thérèse Raquin 6. Kathryn Grayson - Kiss Me Kate 7. Rita Hayworth - Miss Sadie Thompson 8. Harriet Andersson - Summer with Monika 9. Betty Grable - How to Marry a Millionaire 10. Cyd Charisse - The Band Wagon SUPPORTING ACTOR: 1. Frank Sinatra - From Here to Eternity 2. Marlon Brando - Julius Caesar 3. Louis Calhern - Julius Caesar4. Karl Malden - I Confess5. Otto Preminger - Stalag 176. Ernest Borgnine - From Here to Eternity 7. Robert Keith - The Wild One 8. Lee Marvin - The Big Heat SUPPORTING ACTRESS: 1. Donna Reed - From Here to Eternity 2. Ann Miller - Kiss Me Kate3. Thelma Ritter - Pickup on South Street 4. Gloria Grahame - The Big Heat 5. Grace Kelly - Mogambo6. Deborah Kerr - Julius Caesar7. Betta St. John - Dream Wife8. Jocelyn Brando - The Big Heat BEST JUVENILE PERFORMANCE: Jimmy Hunt - Invaders from Mars BEST EXTRA: Bess Flowers - Calamity Jane BEST ANIMAL PERFORMANCE: Baby Elephant in Mogambo BEST CROSS-DRESSED PERFORMANCE: Ed Wood - Glen or Glenda BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: From Here to Eternity (George Duning) BEST ORIGINAL SONG: That's Amore (Dean Martin in The Caddy) BEST NON-ORIGINAL SONG: Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend (Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) BEST ORIGINAL QUOTE: "Prisons are bulging with dummies who wonder how they got there." (The Big Heat) BEST NON-ORIGINAL QUOTE: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!." (Julius Caesar) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Actor Jacques Tati, Mr. Hulot's Holiday I had completely forgotten about this charming Tati masterpiece. Thanks for the reminder, skimpole. This film's sly, subtle comedy charms continue to enchant me. This is my favourite Tati film (not many to choose from, unfortunately). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Synergy of the Year: Marilyn and Jane in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Just two little girls from Little Rock - who didn't try to upstage one another. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Synergy of the Year: Marilyn and Jane in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Just two little girls from Little Rock - who didn't try to upstage one another. Although I love those ladies (and of course Hawks), I'm not a fan of the movie. These are the ladies I prefer, from the original Broadway production (though I only know it from the recording): Yvonne Adair and Carol Channing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Errol Flynn's last good swashbuckler, in fact, his last good film, was THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE, filmed on location in Scotland and Sicily on Warners funds, and released in 1953. Flynn looks older and the light hearted elan that he had once brought to his roles was now more of a memory. However, he was still in reasonable physical shape, was more than credible in the action scenes (even though frequently doubled) and brought considerable dramatic conviction to his role. The screenplay makes references to his character, Jamie Durie, being "black hearted" but really presents him in fairly standard Flynn heroic mode. The film was largely a distortion of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel (some might call its screenplay a complete mutilation, in fact) but, on a conventional adventure level, the film still satisfies. A large part of the reason for this is the often stunning photography of legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff, whose Technicolor visuals make the production a constant pleasure to the eye. The briskly moving film, directed by Hollywood veteran William Keighley, also benefits from a superior supporting cast of British actors, with Roger Livesey a standout as Flynn's rakish Irish compatriot. Livesey is such an engaging rogue in this film (bringing some much appreciated humour to a number of his scenes) that I gave his performance a mention among my honourable mentions in the Best Supporting Actor category. There's a scene towards the end in which Flynn and Livesey are in a prison cell together, their characters facing execution with the dawn. As they stare out their cell window together Livesey puts great feeling into some wonderful dialogue: "There's almost a lift in the sky out there, and the minutes will be racing for it. Not much time to remember all the girls you've known, all the laughter you've heard, all the gold you've spent and all the plans you had to spend it on. Ahhh, the places we've not seen, Jamie! The things that lie about the world, the fun of it!" Flynn responds with a wistful smile to dialogue that sounds like a siren call to the actor's own life. Another member of the supporting cast is Gillian Lynne, cast in the small but flashy role of a tempestuous dancer, who exchanges some flirtatious dialogue and glances with Flynn in the film. The following is from a 2014 interview that Dame Gillian gave about the making of the film. Flynn's career would go off the rails soon after the release of Master, and never be the same again. It's nice to read this account by the actress/dancer on the experience of working with and knowing the Hollywood legend during this time because she has nothing but charming memories of him. Dame Gillian travelled to Sicily in 1953 to film The Master Of Ballantrae. In the credits Gillian Lynne’s part is listed as “Marianne, a dancer favoured by Captain Mendoza” but it wasn’t long before it became clear that she was favoured by the Hollywood legend who had the leading role, one Errol Flynn. Asked how their affair came about, she says: “It was very difficult for it not to come about! He was a gorgeous man and he was very witty, very funny and well educated actually. It wasn’t all about sex, it was all about fun. We liked each other. “I would never have been chosen for the role if he hadn’t liked me because they were looking for a blonde woman with big boobs and then they saw me dancing at the Palladium. I was thin with tiny boobs and dark hair but I was sexy. I’m a sexy dancer. Most dancers are sexy. We had a lot of quite steamy scenes, nothing in the bedroom, thank God. All out in the sun.” Their on-set fling lasted for two months, with the couple enjoying drinks in the bar of Palermo’s exclusive Villa Igiea and taking boat trips up and down the Sicilian coast. For those interested, The Master of Ballantrae occasionally pops up on TCM. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 The film also benefits from a superior supporting cast of British actors, with Roger Livesey a standout as Flynn's rakish Irish compatriot. Livesey is such an engaging rogue in this film that I gave his performance a mention among my honourable mentions in the Best Supporting Actor category. Another member of the supporting cast is Gillian Lynne, cast in the small but flashy role of a tempestuous dancer, who exchanges some flirtatious dialogue and glances with Flynn in the film. Fascinating, Tom. I haven't seen the film but will look for it. Roger Livesey is a fine actor. I particularly love his performance as the Duke of St. Bungay in the TV miniseries The Pallisers, in which he played the Duke of St. Bungay. I had no idea Gillian Lynne was in the film! I worked with her once, about ten years ago. She became a major choreographer, best known for her choreography of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats, which earned her a fortune. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Very interesting, Swithin. It's a shame you didn't know about the Master of Ballantrae and Flynn at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Here are my choices of the 96 films I've seen from 1953 for… Best Supporting Actress of 1953 1. DONNA REED (Alma Burke/"Lorene"), From Here To Eternity 2. THELMA RITTER (Moe Williams), Pickup on South Street 3. GLORIA GRAHAME (Debby Marsh), The Big Heat 4. HARUKO SUGIMURA (Shige Kanecko), Tokyo Story 5. TERESA WRIGHT (Annie Jones), The Actress 6. GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA (Maria Dannreuther), Beat the Devil 7. ZSA ZSA GABOR (Rosalie), Lili 8. HILDEGARD KNEF (Bettina Mallison), The Man Between 9. GRACE KELLY (Linda Nordley), Mogambo 10 .MARJORIE RAMBEAU (Mrs. Stewart), Torch Song and ... KAY KENDALL (Rosalind Peters), Genevieve SETSUKO HARA (Noriko Hirayama), Tokyo Story EDIE MARTIN (Emily), The Titfield Thunderbolt DOLLY HAAS (Alma Keller), I Confess VERA CLOUZOT (Linda), The Wages of Fear 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 nvm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrat Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Until a few years ago, hadn't seen THE WAGES OF FEAR since college, and in these cases you always wonder if you'll still love a film as much as on first viewing. The version I had seen was cut for American audiences, dropping, I believe, some of the unfavorable portrayal of the American oil company and some of the homosexual implications. I remembered loving the almost unbearable nail-biting suspense of the scenes when the trucks make their perilous journey with their cargo of nitroglycerine. Every bend in the road means potential disaster, and you know Clouzot is ruthless enough to kill off any of the four drivers. I remembered, too, the cosmic pessimism and existential angst, which, in this situation, seemed totally justified.None of that had changed. What was new to me was an admiration for the opening part of the film, which at the same time 1) seemed even better than neorealism, with an amazing documentary sense of a real world in which the story takes place and 2) had an editing rhythm which took my breath away, as if this had been storyboarded just like Hitchcock. I don't recall another film which manages that paradoxical feat. I also admire the completely polyglot world of the film, with, at a minimum, English, French, Spanish, and Italian dialogue in various scenes. Mario (Yves Montand) speaks a little Italian; Luigi (Folco Lulli) speaks a little French; Jo (Charles Vanel) speaks a little English; Bill O' Brien, the oil company boss (William Tubbs), tries a little French, and so on. This adds layers of texture as well as realism.I recalled that Jo was implicitly gay, but Clouzot's version goes considerably beyond what the American censors could stomach. At the beginning of the film Mario shares a room with Luigi, who cooks and cleans for him in a quasi-spousal way, like Thomas Mitchell looking after Cary Grant in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS. (Maybe it's unfair to make this analogy, since Hawks' film looks like backlot hokum next to Clouzot.) Mario leaves Luigi for Jo because he thinks Jo may be the key to a way out. Jo and Luigi square off in the bar, western-style, over Mario--I'm not sure I've seen another film with a barfight where two men fight over another man--and Jo uses his power to ruin Mario's date with the pretty Linda (Vera Clouzot). Mario and Luigi clearly prefer women, but they're almost in a prison setting; Jo seems to hate women; and there's this remarkable exchange between Luigi and the Dutchman, Bimba (Peter van Eyck): Luigi: "You like women?" Bimba: "No." You can't imagine that exchange in an American film of 1953. If I've concentrated on the first half of the film, that's because the visceral appeal of the second half needs less commentary. The acting, cinematography, and editing are at such a high level. Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, and Folco Lulli couldn't be more believable in the three key roles. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 Favorite Acting Performances of 1953 1)* Setsuko Hara *- - Tokyo Story 2) Véra Clouzot--Le Salaire de la Peur 3) Audrey Hepburn - - Roman Holiday 4) Marilyn Monroe - - Niagara 5) Danielle Darieux- - The Earrings of Madame de... (tie) 5) Anne Baxter - - The Blue Gardenia Actor 1)* Yves Montand*--Le Salaire de la Peur 2) Chishū Ryū-- Tokyo Story 3) Gregory Peck - - Roman Holiday 4) Glenn Ford-- The Big Heat 5) Richard Widmark - - Pickup on South Street 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 Favorite Supporting Acting Performances of 1953 Actress 1)*Haruko Sugimura-- Tokyo Story 2) Thelma Ritter - - Pickup on South Street 3) Chieko Higashiyama-- Tokyo Story 4) Gloria Grahame - - The Big Heat 5) Jocelyn Brando-- The Big Heat Actor 1)* Vittorio De Sica-- The Earrings of Madame de... 2) Eddie Albert - - Roman Holiday 3) Lee Marvin - - The Big Heat 4) Charles Coburn - - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 5) George Winslow - - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 The Best Performances in a Musical Tap Dance solo, male-- Fred Astaire - - The Bandwagon, "A Shine on your Shoes" (Ably assisted by Leroy Daniels) Tap Dance solo, female-- Ann Miller- Small Town Girl, "I've Gotta Hear That Beat" Pas de Deux-- Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse - - The Bandwagon, "Dancing in the Dark" Outstanding Production Number-- Jack Cole-- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" ( featuring Marilyn Monroe) Outstanding Bizarre Performance-- Bobby Van - - Small Town Girl - - "Take Me to Broadway" Outstanding Ballet-- Michael Kidd - The Bandwagon, "The Girl Hunt Ballet", ( featuring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse) Best Director of a Musical - - Vincente Minnelli The Bandwagon Best Choreographer of a Musical-- Michael Kidd - - The Bandwagon Honorable Mention - - Busby Berkeley, Director of the Musical Numbers, Small Town Girl 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 Here are my choices of the 96 films I've seen from 1953 for… Best Supporting Actor of 1953 1. MARLON BRANDO (Marc Antony), Julius Caesar 2. FOLCO LULLI (Luigi/”Pepito”), The Wages of Fear 3. EDDIE ALBERT (Irving Radovich), Roman Holiday 4. PETER VAN EYCK (Bimba), The Wages of Fear 5. ERNEST BORGNINE (Staff Sgt. James R. "Fatso" Judson), From Here To Eternity 6. ROBERT MORLEY (Petersen), Beat the Devil 7. EMILE MEYER (Rufe Ryker), Shane 8. ROBERT STRAUSS (Stanislas “Animal” Kuzawa/“Stosh"), Stalag 17 9. PETER FINCH (Father Rank), The Heart of the Matter 10. HARVEY LEMBECK (Harry Shapiro), Stalag 17 and... JACK PALANCE (Jack Wilson), Shane EDWARD UNDERDOWN (Harry Chelm), Beat the Devil O.E. HASSE (Otto Keller), I Confess ROLAND LESSAFRE (Riton, le matelot maitre-chanteur), Therese Raquin ISAO YAMAGATA (Lord Wataru Watanabe), Gate of Hell FRANK SINATRA (Private Angelo Maggio), From Here To Eternity JEAN-PIERRE AUMONT (Marc/Marcus "the magnificent"), Lili PETER GRAVES (Price), Stalag 17 VITTORIO DE SICA (Baron Fabrizio Donati), The Earrings of Madame de... HUGH GRIFFITH (Dan Taylor), The Titfield Thunderbolt JAMES ROBERTSON JUSTICE (King Henry VIII of England), The Sword and the Rose LEE MARVIN (Vince Stone), The Big Heat IVOR BARNARD (Major Jack Ross), Beat the Devil ALEXANDER D’ARCY (Rudolph), Man on a Tightrope 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 I seem to have been the only one to mention The Sun Shines Bright in the 1953 lists. It was John Ford's personal favorite among his films. I think it's the best film of 1953, with a great leading performance by Charles Winninger. Set in the post-bellum South, it's a problematic though glorious film. One important aspect of it deals with Stepin Fetchit, who plays his usual stereotype. But in The Sun Shines Bright, he has one moment that defines the film and perhaps his whole career. A naive young black character (played by Elzie Emanuel), with the unfortunate name of U.S. Grant Woodford, is in court. He has a banjo and is asked to play a song. He has worked for Yankees. Here's an analysis of the scene, from the critic who wrote for the film's DVD release: In an early scene the judge asks the young man to demonstrate his prowess on the banjo by playing a military song — and the teenager responds with a rousing rendition of the Union anthem “Marching Through Georgia.” The scene, though played for comedy, remains the most gripping sequence in “The Sun Shines Bright” and one of the most revealing passages in all of Ford’s work. As he hears the first bars of the hated march, a look of shock and fear crosses Fetchit’s face, and he breaks his usual studied shuffle to dash to the boy’s side. Looking the boy in the eyes, a black man communicating with a black man, Fetchit desperately struggles to communicate just how inappropriate the choice of music is — at least if the two men intend to live through the day — and manages to persuade U. S. to segue into “Dixie.” The scene lasts only a couple of seconds — a brief moment in which the curtain drops, and Ford allows a glimpse of the greater reality that lies behind the stereotypes. In this time and place to shuck and jive is the only available survival strategy. The lynch mob awaits those who let the mask slip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 The BAFTA winners for 1953 were …. Best Actor (British) John Gielgud, Julius Caesar Jack Hawkins, The Cruel Sea Kenneth More, Genevieve Trevor Howard, The Heart of the Matter Duncan Macrae, The (Little) Kidnappers Best Actor (Foreign) Marlon Brando, Julius Caesar Spencer Tracy, The Actress Claude Laydu, Diary of a Country Priest (51) Marcel Mouloudji, We Are All Murderers Eddie Albert, Roman Holiday Gregory Peck, Roman Holiday Van Heflin, Shane Best Actress (British) Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday Celia Johnson, The Captain’s Paradise Best Actress (Foreign) Leslie Caron, Lili Shirley Booth, Come Back Little Sheba (52) Maria Schell, The Heart of the Matter Marie Powers, The Medium (51) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedracer5 Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 1953 Winners in BOLD (This is definitely the year of Marilyn Monroe) BEST PICTURE The Band Wagon Beat the Devil The Bigamist The Blue Gardenia From Here to Eternity Gentlemen Prefer Blondes How to Marry a Millionaire I Confess The Master of Ballantrae The Moon is Blue Niagara Peter Pan Pick Up on South Street Roman Holiday BEST ACTOR Fred Astaire, The Band Wagon Humphrey Bogart, Beat the Devil Edmond O'Brien, The Bigamist Richard Conte, The Blue Gardenia Montgomery Clift, From Here to Eternity Burt Lancaster, From Here to Eternity Montgomery Clift, I Confess William Holden, The Moon is Blue David Niven, The Moon is Blue Joseph Cotten, Niagara Richard Widmark, Pick Up on South Street Gregory Peck, Roman Holiday Errol Flynn, The Master of Ballantrae Hans Conreid, Peter Pan Bobby Driscoll, Peter Pan Clark Gable, Mogambo BEST ACTRESS Cyd Charisse, The Band Wagon Jennifer Jones, Beat the Devil Ida Lupino, The Bigamist Joan Fontaine, The Bigamist Anne Baxter, The Blue Gardenia Deborah Kerr, From Here to Eternity Jane Russell, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Marilyn Monroe, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Marilyn Monroe, How to Marry a Millionaire Lauren Bacall, How to Marry a Millionaire Betty Grable, How to Marry a Millionaire Anne Baxter, I Confess Marilyn Monroe, Niagara Jean Peters, Niagara Jean Peters, Pick Up on South Street Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday Ava Gardner, Mogambo BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Oscar Levant, The Band Wagon Peter Lorre, Beat the Devil Frank Sinatra, From Here to Eternity Ernest Borgnine, From Here to Eternity Charles Coburn, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Eddie Albert, Roman Holiday BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Nanette Fabray, The Band Wagon Gina Lollobrigida, Beat the Devil Ann Sothern, The Blue Gardenia Donna Reed, From Here to Eternity Thelma Ritter, Pick Up on South Street BEST MUSICAL NUMBER ***TIE*** "Shine On Your Shoes" Fred Astaire, The Band Wagon "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," Marilyn Monroe, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes WORST MUSICAL NUMBER "Triplets" The Band Wagon. I hate this number. It ranks #2 on my list of most hated musical numbers. It only trails "Heavenly Music" in Summer Stock. BEST SONG "Re-Enlistment Blues," the soldiers in From Here to Eternity FUNNIEST KID George Winslow, portraying Henry Spofford III, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. GEORGE TO MARILYN MONROE: "The second is, you've got a lot of animal magnetism." (His voice reminds me a lot of Charlie Brown's for whatever reason. FUNNIEST LINE In How to Marry a Millionaire: FRED CLARK TO BETTY GRABLE: "Do you know how many females were at my house when I left tonight?" GRABLE: "No, I can't say that I do." CLARK: "Seven. My wife... her sister who's divorced and I don't blame the guy for a second... their mother, who must be 110 if she's a day...an aunt from North Attleborough, Massachusetts, and three more whose names I didn't even catch!" MOST HEARTBREAKING SCENE ***TIE*** In Pickup on South Street, when Moe comes home to find Joey in her apartment and the resulting action. Montgomery Clift playing "Taps" the morning after best friend Frank Sinatra is killed in From Here to Eternity. MOST CHARMING CHARACTER Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Princess Ann in Roman Holiday. BEST SYNERGY The trio of Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck and Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday. MOST ROMANTIC SCENE The famous beach scene between Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity. MOVIE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD BUT WAS BORING Mogambo. I liked Gable and Gardner, but this remake of Red Dust pales in comparison to the Harlow/Gable original. THE KUDOS AWARD Goes to Clark Gable in Mogambo for playing the same role 20 years later in the remake and still making it work. MOST RACIST SCENE The scene with the red-skinned Native Americans in Peter Pan. Whew boy. THE WANNABE AWARD Goes to Maggie McNamara in The Moon is Blue for her attempts to copy-cat Audrey Hepburn. She's cute, but completely lacks Hepburn's charm. SPEEDRACER'S TAKEAWAY FROM "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY" Sure the beach scene is sexy, but why do so many people try to re-enact it? You've got bathing suits and sand. You've got dirty salt water rushing over your body while you're trying to make out with your re-enactment partner. Can you imagine all the crevices the sand and salt would end up?! Yikes! I'll re-enact Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn's "Roman Holiday," thank you! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 19, 2016 Author Share Posted July 19, 2016 Here are Danny Peary’s Alternate Oscar choices for 1953. Winners in bold. Best Actor Montgomery Clift, From Here to Eternity* Alan Ladd, Shane Burt Lancaster, From Here to Eternity John Wayne, Hondo Charles Winninger, The Sun Shines Bright Best Actress Gloria Grahame, The Big Heat* Doris Day, Calamity Jane Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday Marilyn Monroe, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Geraldine Page, Hondo Jane Russell, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes And here are Michael Gerbert’s Golden Armchair choices for 1953: Best Actor Montgomery Clift, From Here to Eternity* Best Actress Thelma Ritter, Pickup on South Street* 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 19, 2016 Author Share Posted July 19, 2016 Here are my choices of the 96 films I've seen from 1953 for… Best Actress of 1953 1. AUDREY HEPBURN (Princess Anne/"Anya Smith"/"Smitty"), Roman Holiday 2. DEBORAH KERR (Karen Holmes), From Here To Eternity 3. LESLIE CARON (Lillette "Lili" Daurier), Lili 4. HARRIET ANDERSSON (Monika), Summer With Monika 5. JENNIFER JONES (Gwendolyn Chelm), Beat the Devil 6. MARILYN MONROE (Lorelei Lee), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 7. DANIELLE DARRIEUX (Comtesse Louise de...), The Earrings of Madame de... 8. AVA GARDNER (Eloise Y. Kelly), Mogambo 9. GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA (Maria De Ritis/”La Bersagliera”), Bread, Love and Dreams 10. JEAN PETERS (Candy), Pickup on South Street and ... MARIA SCHELL (Helen Rolt), The Heart of the Matter GERALDINE PAGE (Angie Lowe), Hondo MARILYN MONROE (Rose Loomis), Niagra JEAN SIMMONS (Diana), The Robe JEAN SIMMONS (Ruth Gordon Jones), The Actress JEAN PETERS (Polly Cutler), Niagra DORIS DAY (Calam “Calamity” Jane), Calamity Jane SIMONE SIGNORET (Therese Dubois Raquin), Therese Raquin JENNIFER JONES (Mary Forbes), Terminal Station/Indiscretion of an American Wife DELIA GARCES (Gloria Milalta), El MACHIKO KYO (Lady Kesa), Gate of Hell 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 1953 - It seems that The Wages of Fear overwhelms this year a little, but it's decent otherwise; and it's basically a six-way tie for Supporting Actor. This is probably also the best year Hans Conried ever had in films, including some pretty good synergy with an inanimate(?) object. ActorAke Gronberg - Sawdust and Tinsel*** Charles Vanel - The Wages of FearRichard Widmark - Pickup on South StreetJack Palance - Man in the AtticRobert Ryan - The Naked SpurSpencer Tracy - The Actress Hans Conried - The Twonky James Stewart - The Naked Spur Fredric March - Man on a Tightrope ActressJennifer Jones - Beat the Devil***Harriet Andersson - Sawdust and Tinsel Jean Peters - Pickup on South Street Supporting ActorLee Marvin - The Wild One*** Otto Preminger - Stalag 17 Lee Marvin - The Big Heat Hans Conried - The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T Edward Underdown - Beat the Devil Robert Strauss - Stalag 17 Jack Palance - Shane Elisha Cook, Jr. - Shane Charles Lung - Siren of Bagdad [don't go out of your way to find this one!] Supporting Actress Thelma Ritter - Pickup on South Street*** Vera Clouzot - The Wages of Fear Gloria Graham - The Big Heat Carolyn Jones - House of Wax ...but if there is a Synergy winner this year it is no doubt held by the four picturesque bad guys in Beat the Devil; two of whom I don't think I've ever seen in anything else, but they must have been cast for what a great looking team they made all put together. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 20, 2016 Author Share Posted July 20, 2016 The 1953 Cannes Film Festival winners were… Best Actor Charles Vanel, The Wages of Fear Best Actress Shirley Booth, Come Back Little Sheba (52) ————————————————————————————— The 1953 Venice Film Festival winners were: Best Actor Henri Vilbert, Absolution Without Conviction Best Actress Lili Palmer, The Four Poster (52) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted July 20, 2016 Author Share Posted July 20, 2016 Here are my choices of the 96 films I've seen from 1953 for… Best Actor of 1953 1. CHARLES VANEL (Jo/”Mr. Jo”), The Wages of Fear 2. WILLIAM HOLDEN (Sgt. J.J. Sefton), Stalag 17 3. ARTURO DE CORDOVA (Francisco Galvan de Montemayor), El 4. BURT LANCASTER (1st Sgt. Milton Warden), From Here To Eternity 5. GREGORY PECK (Joe Bradley), Roman Holiday 6. MONTGOMERY CLIFT (Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt/“Prew”), From Here To Eternity 7. YVES MONTAND (Mario), The Wages of Fear 8. CHARLES BOYER (General Andre de...), The Earrings of Madame de... 9. JAMES MASON (Marcus Brutus), Julius Caesar 10. CLIFTON WEBB (Richard Ward Sturges), Titanic and ... JOSEPH COTTEN (George Loomis), Niagra JACK HAWKINS (Lieutenant-Commander George Ericson,RNR/later Commander), The Cruel Sea SPENCER TRACY (Clinton Jones), The Actress MONTGOMERY CLIFT (Abbe Michael William Logan), I Confess FREDRIC MARCH (Karel Chernyk), Man on a Tightrope JOHN WAYNE (Hondo Lane), Hondo JACQUES TATI (Monsieur Hulot), Monsieur Hulot's Holiday DUNCAN MACRAE (James MacKenzie), The Little Kidnappers ALAN LADD (Shane), Shane FRED ASTAIRE (Tony Hunter), The Band Wagon FRANCO FABRIZI (Fausto Moretti), I Vitelloni VITTORIO DE SICA (Marshall Antonio Carotenuto), Bread, Love and Dreams KAZUO HASEGAWA (Sir Morito Endo), Gate of Hell MONTGOMERY CLIFT (Giovanni Doria), Terminal Station/Indiscretion of an American Wife RAF VALLONE (Laurent LeClaire), Therese Raquin MEL FERRER (Paul Berthalet/"Paul Bartol"), Lili 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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