1930-1931 Marie Dressler
Min and Bill
This was a pretty short movie, but it had some really great scenes in it. The script was good and the part of Min Divot seemed to have been written specifically for Dressler. The actress had clearly been acting for years, and knew what she was doing in front of the camera. There were a few tell-tale signs that she had acted in the silent era, but they weren’t too bad: the over-exaggerated facial expressions, the occasional over-enunciated dialogue, the usual suspects.
Dressler really seemed to understand the character. She was low-class, hard, and tough, and yet you could see Min’s softer underbelly. As much as she tried to deny her love for her surrogate daughter, you could tell she loved her very much, even giving up her life savings so the girl could attend a good school. Every time she tried to convince her daughter that she was through with her, you could see in her eyes how much it hurt her. And she only tried to do it because she knew Nancy would have a better life away from her.
Dressler had a very expressive face, and she was so convincing in the role. She had a look that was low-born, but not defeated, angry but not mean, and at times, loving, but not doe-eyed. And there was a lot of character in her mouth, her natural frown, that could change to silent concern and care with just a little movement. Dressler really knew how to play the part. Dressler had been primarily known as a comedic actress, and she even had a few funny scenes to prove it. But I think that, like many comedy geniuses, she had the ability to turn in a fantastic dramatic performance. Sometimes, it seems you have to understand the humor to fully appreciate the drama.
The end of the film took an unexpected dark turn, even though it was foreshadowed in the first half of the movie. She ends up murdering a woman to protect Nancy’s future, and as she is arrested and taken by the police, she smiles, knowing that she save her daughter from a birth mother who would have ruined her happiness. At first, I wasn’t sure Dressler deserved the Oscar for Best Actress, but after the climax of the film, the murder and the arrest, I can see why she won.