Category: Best Actress

1943 – Joan Fontaine

The Constant Nymph

I’m sorry, but I didn’t particularly care for Fontaine in this film.  It dealt with a few things that generally bother me, and sometimes leave me with an icky feeling.  It was about a young country bumpkin of a girl named Tessa Sanger, who is around sixteen years old.  She is desperately in love with an older man who is a composer.  When he marries the girl’s relative, she and her sister go under the guardianship of his new father-in-law and are sent off to finishing school.  But her love for the man is so intense and needy that she unwittingly gets his feelings to change from those of a dear family friend, to a decidedly romantic nature.

First of all, Fontaine was too old for the part, and while they did their best to make her appear young and bubbly, there were times when her real age of around twenty-six became very obvious.  Second, assuming she was a teenager, here we have Charles Boyer falling in love with an underage girl… again.  And finally, even if the character was a more appropriate age, her love was desperate and needy, even to the point of her dying of a broken heart because she could not have him.  You could tell right from Fontaine’s first appearance on the screen that her love for Lewis was unhealthy, even hungry.  Her feelings went beyond simple love or desire, and bordered on absolute need.  It was unnerving to watch in a teenage character.

But I think I was supposed to be swept away by the intensity of her emotions, the purity of her affection.  But the way Fontaine played it was just a bit creepy in its own way.  Still, she did a good job playing the undisciplined, unrefined country girl.  And when she left behind the unkempt hair and bare feet for the smart boarding school uniform, Fontaine did a very good job of acting more mature.  She played the part as a little more sensible and a little less excitable.  But I still didn’t really like Tessa.  I guess it was just the way she was written.

And something else that bothered me.  I kept hearing what I sometimes call the “please don’t hit me” voice that was appropriate for the Second Mrs. DeWinter in Rebecca, but just didn’t fit the character in the same way here.  This one was a miss for me.  And I think it may have been because Fontaine was miscast.

1943 – Jennifer Jones

The Song of Bernadette

Jones turned in an incredible performance, there’s no doubt about that.  And the Academy agreed.  She won the Best Actress Oscar.  This was the perfect marriage of a great actress and a well-written script.  The character of Bernadette Soubirous, a poor peasant girl who has a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, performs a few miracles, and eventually becomes Saint, though the movie didn’t actually cover her canonization.  Jones’s inspired performance had a wonderful innocence about it that seemed to perfectly capture the extremely humble nature reportedly possessed by the real Bernadette of Lourdes.

Jones was only 23 years old when The Song of Bernadette was filmed, so she had youth on her side.  She was actually quite beautiful, but they made her look plainer and more like a girl of peasant stock.  But the simple-minded, uneducated nature of the character was all Jones.  She never acted too clever or too wise.  Some of her best scenes were ones in which even she seemed confused by what was happening to her.  But the core of her performance, which Jones played to perfection, was the unwavering faith of the young girl, and the honesty with which she spoke of it.

There were very few scenes where Jones was able to show a smile or display happiness, which was actually one of the prominent themes of the film.  Several times, Bernadette reported that the Lady in her visions told her “I cannot promise to make you happy in this world, only in the next.”  And the actress held true to that idea.  She rarely smiled.  The one scene where she did was when the visions were over and she looked forward to the prospect of working as a maid and marrying a young man who loved her.  But the notion of an ordinary life was quickly squelched by the priest, telling her that her duty was to become a nun and spend the rest of her life in a convent.

Jones really turned in an inspired and inspiring performance and I’m glad she won the Oscar.  The Academy made the right decision.  And kudos to whoever cast her in the role.  She was perfection.  She captured the innocence and humility of the Saint and elevated the already wonderful script to a higher level.

1943 – Jean Arthur

The More the Merrier

Hmmm…   How to say this delicately…  This is the movie that made me dislike Jean Arthur.  I’m not saying she was an awful actress.  I’m just saying she played an annoying character.  And as far as I can tell, that is partially due to the annoying script, but it is most certainly the fault of the actress, as well.  This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this film, and there are things about the plot I neither liked the first time, nor did my opinion change this time.  Let me explain.

Jean Arthur was fine, for the most part.  I’ll say that again – for the most part, she was fine.  She looked beautiful, she understood that she was in a romantic comedy, not a serious drama, and she played it all with an easy air about her that was attractive.  And she knew how to act the more serious parts.  In fact, I’ve seen her in other movies that had a similar feel, and she was just fine.  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington comes to mind.  But the way this movie ended just stuck in my craw. 

So she falls in love with Joel McCrea’s Mr. Carter.  I mean, who wouldn’t?  She breaks her engagement with Mr. Pendergast.  Again, who wouldn’t?  And she gets married to Mr. Carter in a shotgun wedding so there wouldn’t be a scandal that would ruin her reputation.  So now she’s married to the right man, and she should be happy, but she’s not, and the movie isn’t exactly clear on why.  She is sobbing in the most ridiculous way.  She isn’t exactly crying.  She’s just making this ear-splitting, droning, fakey, whining sound with no real point, like the noise a two-year-old makes to get the attention of a parent.

And is it because she thinks he only married her to save her honor and her reputation?  It shouldn’t be.  She already knows he actually loves her.  He already said so in their bedtime conversation.  Is it because he has official military orders to go to Africa the next day?  It shouldn’t be.  She knew that going into it.  So I’m confused as to why she’s whining, and it seems that she is too.  She just stands there keening inarticulately.  And I know this is supposed to be a silly comedy, but it seemed that Miss Arthur was confused about her motivation in that final scene, and I was, too.  So Best Actress?  I don’t think so. 

1943 – Ingrid Bergman

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Wow, Ingrid Bergman was certainly the hot ticket in 1943.  Not only was she nominated for Best Actress for this film, she was also in Casablanca, for which she did not earn an Oscar nomination, though she certainly could have been.  In For Whom the Bell Tolls, she played a much more dramatic and tragic character.  She played Maria, the Spanish girl who had joined a rebel band of anti-fascists because they had found her after her village had been destroyed, her parents had both been murdered, and she, herself, had her head shaved, and then had been gang raped.  Her short hair was a plot point, but she still looked gorgeous.  It’s a good thing, those rebel guerillas had a professional hair stylist in their rag-tag band.

For the first half of the movie, Maria didn’t really do much.  She was there as eye-candy, and a love interest for Gary Cooper.  And to be sure, she and her leading man had a good on-screen chemistry.  But about half way through the movie, we began to learn her back-story, and this is where Bergman had the chance to bring out the heavy drama.  We learn about why her head had been shaved, and why she was with the rebels.  Yes, the movie could be considered an action film, but I’d say it was a drama with a bit of action in it.  It was Bergman’s performance that made it so.  She played the part of a victim, and it was well-written, giving her a victim mentality, that said she was somehow worthless because she had been overpowered by cruel men who sexually abused her.  Bergman played that well.

And when young and handsome Gary Cooper arrived and was kind to her, she fell head-over-heels in love with him.  And though there wasn’t much to that, Bergman played it well, making her a little too aggressive and obsessive with her affections, which, given the situation, was actually appropriate for the character.  After being defiled, and then being rescued and being shown kindness from Pilar, Maria was desperate for love and affection.

And in the films climax, she opened herself up to some powerful crying that felt sincere, and the tears were certainly real.  Even when she was put on a horse, she was leaning back in the saddle as she was carried away, wailing for her lost love.

1942 – Rosalind Russell

My Sister Eileen

I liked this movie, and I liked Russell’s performance.  Yes, she was the lead, but more than that, she was a better actress that her costars.  She stood out.  There were a lot of supporting characters, and the rest of the cast was just fine, but Russell was clearly more polished, more believable, and more charismatic.  She was just better.  Whenever she was on the screen, my eyes were more drawn to her, whether she was the focus of a scene or not.  Strangely enough, I can’t put my finger on exactly why that might be, but it’s true.

Russell played Ruth Sherwood, one of two sisters who leave the small town to pursue their dreams of becoming an actress and a writer.  But being a screwball comedy, something I was not aware of before watching the movie, of course, the sisters fall into a mildly bad situation, and silly hijinks ensues.

Now, of the two siblings, Russell played the sensible one, the writer, the one who relies on her brains rather than her beauty.  She was the dark-haired one, while her sister was a bubble-headed blond, and for some reason this was supposed to imply that she was less attractive than the aspiring actress.  But in that one aspect, Rosalind may have actually been miscast.  In the film, multiple references are made to Russell’s unattractiveness, especially when compared to her sister.  But I think she was more attractive than her costar, Janet Blair.  So I didn’t really buy into the idea that Ruth was unattractive.

And there were times when Russell had to do the bulk of the comedy.  She not only had to use the quick-witted comments, the sarcastic jabs, and the quirky comedy, but she also had to do some highly physical comedy.  And she was great at both.  I loved the chaotic scene where the Portuguese sailors invaded their home and started a conga line, then a riot.  Russell was thrown about and forced to dance with the sailors.  And she handled it like a pro.  She was funny and she was silly, and she was, in fact, perfectly cast.  I’m glad she was given the Best Actress nomination.  It’s nice to know that comedic roles can be just as appreciated as the dramatic ones, Because Russell proved that they can be just as good.

1942 – Katharine Hepburn

Woman of the Year

I’ve always loved Katharine Hepburn as an actress, and here, she turns in yet another fun performance.  And this movie everything.  There was a bit of comedy that had me laughing, and a bit of drama that nearly had me tearing up.  There was tricky dialogue that must have been a challenge for the actress, and great on-screen chemistry with Spencer Tracy.  And Hepburn delivered.  She always seemed at ease, no matter what a scene required of her.

She played the character of Tess Harding, a woman whose drive to succeed in everything she did was so strong, she never learned how to truly interact with the world or the people around her.  She was so focused on herself and her own career and desires, she never considered how her actions affected other people.  But then she falls in love, and really has no idea how to be in a relationship.  She remains focused on herself, and insensitively ignores her husband, making major life-changing decisions without consulting him, not understanding that a marriage needs to be a partnership between two people, not just the desires of one.

And as for her chemistry with Spencer Tracy, I think it’s interesting to note that this was the first of their nine films together.  The romance between them looked real in the film, maybe because the actors became romantically involved in the real world, a relationship that, according to my research, lasted until Tracy died in 1967.   

And Hepburn’s style of acting, one we’ve seen in other films like Morning Glory and The Philadelphia Story, is one of self-confidence and quick, wordy dialogue.  That was still present in this film, but it had the extra challenge of lines in foreign languages, which I found pretty impressive.  Throughout the movie she had to whip out lines of dialogue in six different languages, if you include English.  She also spoke French, Russian, German, Spanish, and Greek.  And it all sounded natural for her.  She rattled it all off with an ease that was pretty amazing.  Yes, once again, I would describe Hepburn’s performance as impressive.  I particularly liked her real tears in the movie’s emotional climax at her mother and father’s wedding, and her great timing in the physical comedy scenes.  Apparently she could do it all.

1942 – Bette Davis

Now, Voyager

Once again, Bette Davis is nominated for Best Actress.  This was her seventh nomination out of ten and it was the fifth year in a row she earned a Best Actress nomination.  She was still the gem of Hollywood, and the audiences still loved her.  What I liked about her performance here was that it was a different kind of role.  She played a woman with crippling emotional insecurities, caused by a domineering and controlling mother who put her down and treated her like an unwanted child, well into her adulthood.

The character’s name was Charlotte Vale, and at the beginning of the film, she is so miserable, she can barely speak, even to the sanitarium psychologist who has her committed to an asylum for a six month period.  Even after she is allowed to venture back into the real world, her lack of confidence and fear of social contact was constantly hanging over her like a dark cloud.  And Davis, ever the accomplished actress, played it so well I almost didn’t recognize her the first time she was on the screen.  She was mousy, frail, forever on the verge of tears.  It was not the kind of role I’m used to seeing Davis play.

But eventually she defies her mother enough to learn that happiness is possible for her, and she blossoms into a beautiful and confident woman, capable of being loved, and giving love to others.  That was the part that Davis was used to playing, and of course, she did her usual good job.  She was beautiful and self-assured, and she played a likeable character.  She was often known for playing wicked women like in The Little Foxes or Jezebel.  But Charlotte was kind and selfless, generous and polite.  And yes, Davis was quite capable of being that, too.

But I think that it was that first third of the movie, where Davis played the insecure, down-beaten woman, where Davis was able to stretch herself as an actress.  She showed a side of herself and her acting skills that she didn’t often use, and she did a wonderful job.  There was a reason she was the toast of Hollywood.  And in this film, she was still on top of her game.  I’m not surprised this role earned her yet another Best Actress nomination.

1942 – Greer Garson

Mrs. Miniver

1942 was a great year for Greer Garson.  Not only did she take home the Oscar for her performance in Mrs. Miniver, she was also in Random Harvest, where, though she wasn’t nominated for Best Actress, I think she should have been.  And this was coming right after her nomination for Best Actress in 1941 for Blossoms in the Dust.  She was the hot ticket, and she did a fantastic job in all three of these films.  But here, in Mrs. Miniver, she seemed to have outdone herself.  She was incredible!

She played the title character of Mrs. Miniver, a British housewife who did her best to keep her family together and safe during WWII.  She had a strength to her that was matched only by her gentleness.  She held the family together through the blackouts, the air raids, and the bombings.  She survived being held hostage by a wounded German soldier.  She hid in the shaking bomb shelter, clasping and comforting her screaming children, along with her husband, while the house was nearly destroyed.  And she was there when her beloved daughter-in-law was shot and killed, holding her in her arms as the young girl died.

The movie was full of powerful scenes, and Garson created a character that was full of poise and grace in the face of life-threatening dangers.  She also had to play the part of the wife and mother who had to wait at home, caring for the young children while her husband and oldest son had to risk their lives in the war.  The movie gave Garson the opportunity to stretch as an actress, and she was up to the challenge.  The moment when Carol died, Garson’s looks of shock and grief were wonderfully intense. She really sold the moment, and without a doubt, she earned her Oscar.

But she also shined in her gentler moments.  Her portrayal of a loving wife and mother were wonderful to watch.  Her on-screen chemistry with her husband, played by Walter Pidgeon, was easy to see.  The character she created was beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.  And I particularly liked how she handled her relationship with the crotchety, aristocratic Lady Beldon, meeting her vinegar with honey.  Garson really knocked this one out of the park. 

1942 – Teresa Wright

Pride of the Yankees

I love Teresa Wright.  She was gorgeous, had a thousand-watt smile, and was a phenomenal actress.  In Pride of the Yankees, she played Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig, the wife of the famous baseball player, Lou Gehrig.  Wright created a likeable character that was a good match for Gary Cooper’s lead.  She was bright and cheery, and I think the actress did a very good job, earning her nomination.  And she had some pretty emotional scenes that allowed her to show off her skill in front of the camera.

Her main function in the film was to be Cooper’s love interest, and both the actress and the script did it right, because you have to have your romance in a biopic film.  Eleanor’s obvious interest in Lou upon first meeting him was nice and refreshing because she kept her emotions on low without being mean.  The love story took a little time to get going, and I liked the way Wright played it.  She understood what was needed, and she did a fine job.  And it didn’t hurt that she had a pretty good chemistry with Gary Cooper on the big screen.

But then later on in the film, as her husband’s tragic disease began to affect him, the tears started to flow, and she owned them.  Of course, as was the fashion in films of the 1940s, if you get sick, don’t tell your loved ones to spare them the pain.  So Lou didn’t want Eleanor to know, even though she actually did.  And to save face for Lou, Eleanor did what she had to, in order to avoid letting him know she knew. So she had to remain happy, even as she watched him physically decline.  Wright was so good in these scenes.  I especially applauded the absolute desolation on her face when she first learns of his terminal illness.

So this is one of those rare cases where a single actress was nominated for two different films in the same year.  This nomination was for Best Actress, but she was also nominated for her role in Mrs. Miniver in the Best Supporting Actress category, for which she took home an Oscar.  1942 was clearly a good year for Teresa Wright.  And this was just one year after another nomination the previous year for The Little Foxes.  Clearly, the movie-going public loved her, and so do I.

1935 – Merle Oberon

The Dark Angel

This was a movie that left me… undecided if I liked the ending or not.  But one thing I’m not undecided about is Merle Oberon’s performance.  I think she did a fine job.  I can understand the Oscar nomination, but I can also understand why she didn’t win.  She was very good, but when I compare her to Miriam Hopkins, Claudette Colbert, and Katherine Hepburn, she seemed a little inexperienced, a little unsure of herself.  But that’s like saying she was a nine instead of a ten. 

Oberon played the character of Kitty Lane, a young debutant who was good friends with two boys from a neighboring family.  She always knew which brother she loved, though both of them were in love with her.  When the boys go off to war, her fiancée is injured with blindness and tries to make the world believe he is dead.  So Kitty marries the other brother instead.  But when he learns that Kitty’s true love is still alive, they confront him together.  Knowing that she still loves him, Kitty’s husband quietly disappears and gives his wife permission to return to the man she loves, saying that she will always be there to care for him, despite is affliction.  I don’t know how I feel about that ending, but there it is.

Either way, Oberon was very convincing.  The scenes where she has to let her fiancée leave to fight in the war, knowing she might never see him again were played beautifully.  Though he tried to make her pretend that the Sword of Damocles was not hanging over their heads, you could see the ever-present fear in her eyes.  You could see that his way of dealing with their imminent parting hurt her, and her struggle to put on a façade of confidence and normality was all in vain.

And later on, when she marries the other brother, you could see in the way Oberon played the part, that she loved him more as a brother than a husband.  There was a resigned look on her face that spoke volumes.  The drama was good, and it didn’t hurt that Oberon was simply gorgeous.  But in spite of all that, she didn’t draw my attention.  She wasn’t captivating on the screen.  Maybe that would come in later performances.  I honestly don’t know since I haven’t seen any of her other films, but I have no doubt her confidence in front of the camera would grow.