tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post4866019530076352096..comments2023-12-26T05:26:08.512-05:00Comments on The Cinematic Spectacle: 1944 CinSpec AwardsJoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-58823722893066721412014-08-09T13:40:09.910-04:002014-08-09T13:40:09.910-04:00Great stuff! Love the wins for Lifeboat and Double...Great stuff! Love the wins for Lifeboat and Double Indemnity, and Webb just misses my Best Supporting Actor lineup.<br /><br />I'll have to watch Summer Storm. The Hour Before the Dawn isn't high on my watchlist, but I'll hopefully get to it at some point.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-25060857780997043572014-08-08T15:56:53.709-04:002014-08-08T15:56:53.709-04:00Picture:
Double Indemnity
Laura
Lifeboat-Winner
Me...Picture:<br />Double Indemnity<br />Laura<br />Lifeboat-Winner<br />Meet Me in St. Louis<br />Since You Went Away<br />This was a tough year for me too pick winners overall. I love the dark world Wilder created in Double Indemnity, Preminger's mood piece Laura, Selznick's massive tribute to the homefront and Minnelli's candy coated valentine but the microcosm that Hitchcock creates in Lifeboat is the one I found the most fascinating and the one I return to again and again.<br /><br />Director:<br />George Cukor-Gaslight<br />Alfred Hitchcock-Lifeboat-Winner<br />Vincente Minnelli-Meet Me in St. Louis<br />Otto Preminger-Laura<br />Billy Wilder-Double Indemnity<br />This was between Wilder and Hitchcock for me but Hitch's ability to make the one set Lifeboat consistently compelling despite that very restiction tipped me in his favor.<br /><br />Actor:<br />Dana Andrews-Laura<br />Cary Grant-Arsenic and Old Lace<br />Fred MacMurray-Double Indemnity-Winner<br />Claude Rains-Mr. Skeffington<br />George Sanders-Summer Storm<br />I saw that you had placed Rains in supporting and again his screen time skirts the two categories but his being the title character placed him in starring for me. It doesn't really matter though since as good as he and the others are, especially Sanders in what could be his best lead performance, none hold a candle to MacMurray's complex work as Walter Neff.<br /><br />Actress:<br />Tallulah Bankhead-Lifeboat<br />Ingrid Bergman-Gaslight<br />Linda Darnell-Summer Storm<br />Judy Garland-Meet Me in St. Louis<br />Barbara Stanwyck-Double Indemnity-Winner<br />This was a tougher choice than actor. Judy and Linda were both terrific in different ways in their films and in a weaker year I would have gone with Tallulah in a heartbeat but this was a two person race. Ingrid's intricate performance is fascinating to watch but Barbara Stanwyck's noir devil is the gold standard for the genre and a great illustration of her versatility. <br /><br />Supporting Actor:<br />Laird Cregar-The Lodger<br />Edward Everett Horton-Summer Storm<br />Edward G. Robinson-Double Indemnity<br />Walter Slezak-Lifeboat<br />Clifton Webb-Laura-Winner<br />This was the hardest category for me. Horton is heartbreaking in an atypical role and both Cregar and Slezak create distinctive, memorable villains but Robinson and Webb are the two whose characters have the most depth and both actors explore every bit of it. They're both incredible but Webb is able to turn a rather despicable man into an entertaining and surprisingly tragic person considering his overall odiousness. <br /><br />Supporting Actress:<br />Jean Adair-Arsenic and Old Lace<br />Ethel Barrymore-None But the Lonely Heart<br />Josephine Hull-Arsenic and Old Lace<br />Cornelia Otis Skinner-The Uninvited-Winner<br />Claire Trevor-Murder, My Sweet<br />Adair and Hull are hysterical in Old Lace but theirs is a ying and yang partnership where one would be incomplete without the other and Ethel Barrymore gives a beautiful performance in Lonely Heart but the part isn't really much. That leaves Claire Trevor's venal temptress and Cornelia Otis Skinner's deliciously loony secrets keeper. Trevor as always is stellar but Skinner is so flat out disturbing and creepy plus manages the coded lesbian vibe so well I had to go with her.<br /><br />Juvenile Oscar-Margaret O'Brien-Meet Me in St. Louis<br />Since the academy was still handing out special Oscars at this point I felt I could do the same for O'Brien's scene stealing work.<br /><br />Just a quick note: I noticed in films from this year that you still have to see you listed The Hour Before the Dawn. I ran across it in its entirety on Youtube last week, it's not a masterpiece but worth checking out and Veronica is very beautiful in it even if her accent is a bit variable. As with most Youtube titles who knows how long it will be there but I've never been able to find it anywhere else.joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-26325851165817220042014-02-04T01:31:52.239-05:002014-02-04T01:31:52.239-05:00I know, right? Though he won 6 Oscars, it seems li...I know, right? Though he won 6 Oscars, it seems like Wilder was very underrated.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-83087557321983080322014-02-03T20:06:01.552-05:002014-02-03T20:06:01.552-05:00It's Double Indemnity for me as well. There ne...It's Double Indemnity for me as well. There never was anyone quite like Wilder.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-27294232939068986322014-01-27T19:51:19.665-05:002014-01-27T19:51:19.665-05:00Haha, I love it too! :)Haha, I love it too! :)Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-35326098750548621792014-01-27T19:50:22.521-05:002014-01-27T19:50:22.521-05:00It didn't make the Best Picture lineup, but it...It didn't make the Best Picture lineup, but it was nominated for Best Actor the following year. For some reason, it wasn't eligible in 1944. Hope you like Double Indemnity!Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-9441718418264182482014-01-27T10:41:10.401-05:002014-01-27T10:41:10.401-05:00LOL, I always loved that Grant hated his performan...LOL, I always loved that Grant hated his performance in that film, because it's kind of what won him so many fans. He's fantastic in it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-16413857870287286642014-01-26T17:59:52.557-05:002014-01-26T17:59:52.557-05:00I thought Keys of the Kingdom was nominated for Be...I thought Keys of the Kingdom was nominated for Best Picture & Greg Peck for Best Actor? He was great in that. Oh Double Indemnity is on my to-watch list this year, can't wait!ruthhttp://flixchatter.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-89586405903903376892014-01-25T13:16:25.376-05:002014-01-25T13:16:25.376-05:00It's interesting that you were surprised in a ...It's interesting that you were surprised in a good way, since Cary Grant wasn't fond of that performance. It's one of my favorites of his.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-65010041942575112292014-01-25T13:15:10.309-05:002014-01-25T13:15:10.309-05:00Yay! I love this year!Yay! I love this year!Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-31345824842078180592014-01-25T01:08:04.246-05:002014-01-25T01:08:04.246-05:00Only seen a couple of those. I sometimes find Cary...Only seen a couple of those. I sometimes find Cary Grant's acting style a bit samey, but he surprised me in a good way with Arsenic and Old Lace, with that comedic performance. Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5030627662498151745.post-55871317392702611442014-01-24T15:35:40.050-05:002014-01-24T15:35:40.050-05:00OMG!!! I just saw Lifeboat the other night! This...OMG!!! I just saw Lifeboat the other night! This year is so good already, and I've only seen like 6 films!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com