Continuing the saga………
1. ANN BANCROFT
For her scene in bed with Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate”. Bancroft has a 3 minute scene in which she finally reveals a piece of herself via her in a happy and unsatisfying marriage. In about 10 lines she conveys her incredible sadness and her unholy allegiance to a marriage contract that seems to literally suffocate her every hour of the day. She merely lies on her side never once looking at Hoffman’s character, and everything is in her body language and the way she whispers and the way she wraps her lips around each syllable of each word.
2. WILLIAM HOLDEN
For his death scene in “Sunset Boulevard”. As Swanson fires 5 shots into Holden’s character, he stumbles forward, clutches his chest, then as another shot fires out, he reaches for his briefcase that sits precariously by the pool, as yet another shot rings out, he’s flung completely around, and as the last bullet reaches him, he reaches for her. He then loses his strength, and lunges face first into the huge pool beneath him. There’s no pain, there’s no screaming, just the sound of the gunshots, and three actions that say the most about who he is and what she meant to him.
3. JOAN CRAWFORD
For her 5 minute frantic discovery scene in the thriller “Sudden Fear”. Crawford was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in this taught, exciting character examination, and during one scene when she plays back a tape recorder; she discovers the man she loves is plotting to kill her. For almost 5 straight minutes she literally says nothing. Her eyes fill with tears, she wrangles herself along the walls of the room, clutching at books, trying to leave but stopping herself. She looks as if she’s about to yell, a guttural, awful, primal yell, but no sound comes out. As the camera holds a tight close up on those magnificent eyes of hers, her mouth twists, she shoves her hands to her ears, shakes her head, her eyes widen, and she plunges herself at the tape recorder, begging for it to stop. And during this….not a single word. Miraculous.
Trivia:
Although Crawford was grateful for her Oscar win for Mildred Peirce, she thought this was a better performance. She lost to Shirley Booth.
4. SYDNEY POITIER
For his manic monologue to his beleaguered father in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” In the den of Tracey’s character, Poitier lashes out at his Dad about letting go, what’s it was like back then and what it’s like now to be black now, and a man, and in love. “You did what you were SUPPOSED to do!” he yells at his father. The way he spits out the word “supposed” is part of Poitiers brilliance. It's the not the fact that he emphasizes it, it’s the way he lays on it, he drags it out, his fist clenches and shakes in the face of his father. It’s defiant, gigantic, and filled with pain. In that one gesture, Poitier tells us the entire history of what it was like being raised in that time, with that father, in that house.
5. DOLLY PARTON
For her tearful two line answers to her husband as she readies herself for a funeral in “Steel Magnolias”. Parton’s face as she stands in the doorway dressed in black is a marvel. Those are real tears. Her husband asks as he plays with some random goop on her makeup table: “What does this stuff do?” She stumbles a bit, she gathers her strength, and says with a half smile: “It makes you pretty.” In that moment, Parton has told us everything we need to know about how she feels about who she is, what she does, and how she feels about him.
Trivia:
Dolly did this scene in 2 takes. The director was so bowled over and the crew so emotional, they didn’t want to mess with it.
6. EILEEN HECKART
For her 10 second moment in the house of her blind son’s lover (Goldie Hawn) in “Butterflies Are Free”. Heckart, a rare gem of an actress, is trying her level best to dissuade this union between Hawn and her son, and as she’s grilling her with questions, she has a small moment where she looks Hawns’ character up and down in a way that’s not only intrusive and judgmental, it borders on the obscene. An amazing use of a single gesture in the middle of a thought that seems to be going in the opposite direction.
7. GENE WILDER
For his insane, immediate, instantaneous about-face in the dungeon scene in “Young Frankenstein”. Wilder’s locked in a cell with The Monster and begins pleading for his life, screaming at the top his lungs to be let out, and as The Monster lets out a monumental groan, Wilder whips his body around, points his finger objectively towards Peter Boyle and quietly blurts out: “Hey You!” Hilarious and twisted it is Wilder at his penultimate best.
8. BELLA LUGOSI
For his silent, memorizing entrance in “Dracula”. As he stands atop the grand staircase, he looks directly at Jonathon Harker, and announces quietly and eerily: “I am Dracula.” The investment in Lugosi’s eyes, and the shape of his body, the tone of his voice is never forced. In that 20 seconds, the evil he exudes is told in how he says what he says and what his body is telling us. Terrifying.
9. LENA HORNE
This is a true 10 minute Oscar. Horne starring in the movie of the same name, sings the great Harold Arlen tune Stormy Weather to near perfection. Very rarely is a singer so married to a particular piece. As she stands gallantly by an open window, her back arched, fists tightly closed, she belts out the blues with a slight smile and an ache that’s never been duplicated. As the storm gathers outside, Horne fills an already brilliant piece of music with her own inimitable style lifting up the ends of phrases and busting the verse: “Can’t go on…..” Although Billie Holiday is also associated with this, I’d like to present a 10 minute Oscar to Horne because of her miraculous acting ability combined with the searing vocal she produces.
10. CHRISOPHER GUEST
As Corky St Clair, Guest receives a phone call on the “day of the show, ya’ll” informing him he’s lost his leading man. The actual phone call is hysterical and pathetic due to Guest’s compete and all consuming portrayal of this androgynous/ choreographer/director/actor/singer stuck in a small town with big town dreams. His face and his voice fall flat and his dreams for one moment are dashed in a sea of self actualization and sheer ego. Yet, as he screams: “I hate you and your ass FACE!” and slams the phone down, there’s one moment as Guest paces that his walls fall, his heart breaks a little, and ours with him. It is the look in his eyes as he searches for an answer, the tepid, almost heart breaking crack in his voice as he informs the cast of their inevitable fate. A brilliant scene and a deserved Oscar.
Trivia:
Most all of this movie was completely improvised. Guest and Eugene Levy shot hours and hours of film only to put together an actual movie in the final days of editing. A Herculean feat that culminates in some of the finest comedic performances ever recorded.
………still more to come.