BEST ACTRESS <—- ( 95-year list )
These women gave absolutely riveting performances. I mean I could not take my eyes off them. Headstrong Southern Belles, a woman driven mad, a media honcho, an “escort”, a single mother, a sheriff are among the roles these women portrayed. I’ve listed the nominees up against each of my ten favorites, and if you click on the nominees’ names – you will see the movie they were nominated for. Look, there’s no rhyme or reason in my choices. Just my emotion.
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BETTE DAVIS in “Jezebel” ( 1938 )
Dir: William Wyler
I’ve liked this movie since my childhood. But it really crystalized for me seeing it on the big screen at the TCM Classic Film Festival. What crystallized was me seeing the power of Bette commanding our attention. I watch every flicker of her eye lash. In the movie, she’s a Jezebel. She ruins men’s lives. To make up for that she opts for helping care for Fonda in a yellow fever colony. If ANYbody can stare down yellow fever, it’s Bette Davis. Willful, repentant…volcanic. Yo! Ya gotta get an Oscar for that.
Nominees: Norma Shearer / Margaret Sullavan / Wendy Hiller / Fay Bainter
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VIVIEN LEIGH in “Gone With the Wind” (1939)
Dir: Victor Fleming
It was 1968. I was 16 years old and for our high school class trip we saw the reissue of this movie. Even at that age I recognized Vivien Leigh carries this movie on her pretty, bare shoulders. She runs through a gamut of emotions in a very believable fashion. A flawed woman, we see through her eyes how she has to fight to survive this war, along with surviving her mother’s death, her father cracking up, becoming the sole breadwinner of her family, being surrounded by the toll of war ( and Carpetbaggers ), a Mother’s worse nightmare and watching her way of life crash down around her. The girl’s going through some things! She cannot fold…she must rise from the ashes of the South like a phoenix, while still trying to win the man she loves . . . who will never commit to her. My eyebrows might have raised a few times during the movie, but I never disliked Scarlett. And THAT is thanks to Vivien Leigh. She sinks her teeth into this character without one false note; not shying from being flawed. Her eyes are everything in this film. The scope of the movie is epic, but the kernel…the eye of the storm is Vivien Leigh.
Nominees: Bette Davis / Greer Garson / Greta Garbo / Irene Dunne
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INGRID BERGMAN in “Gaslight” ( 1944 )
Dir: George Cukor <— ( by Trudy Ring )
It’s not an enjoyable movie for me to watch repeatedly b’cuz I can’t stand to see Ingrid Bergman being tortured. But darn it, she does it so convincingly well whether it is physically ( slowly poisoned in “Notorious” ), sexually ( “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” ) or here mentally, in “Gaslight.” Turnabout is fair play for Boyer at the end of the movie, when Bergman has a bit of sport with him before she sends him off with glory in her heart. She is a slow burn, not a stark, raving mad chewing the scenery. There’s an almost sensuousness to her suffering. She’s emotional without over-the-top. And I believe her. That’s why it took me so long to like Cary Grant and Boyer again! Grrr! This is a well~deserved Oscar.
[ INGRID BERGMAN OSCAR NOMINATIONS ]
Nominees: Barbara Stanwyck / Claudette Colbert / Mr. Skeffington / Mrs. Parkington
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JOAN CRAWFORD in “Mildred Pierce” (1945)
Dir: Michael Curtiz
“Get your things out of this house before I throw them into the street and you with them. Get out before I kill you.”
This is a good ol’ quintessential 1940’s movie. Crawford knocks it the hell outta the park; especially maybe if you compare her to her 1930’s self. In “Mildred Pierce” she is a housewife who winds up being a single parent after being estranged from her husband, becomes a successful entrepreneur ~ all for the sake of giving her eldest daughter any and every thing she wants. Money can’t buy you love, Mildred. She’s in turn heartsick, self-sacrificing, bitter and suffered the worst betrayal I’ve seen in the entire 1940’s. I think “Mildred Pierce” proves Crawford was more than her beauty. She’s not man-stealing Crystal Allen or repressed Craig’s Wife or out ’n out good-time girl Sadie Thompson. She’s plain ol’ Mildred, a California housewife trying to keep it together. Winning an Academy Award at her new studio of Warner Brothers was probably a glorious vindication for the actress. I love watching her in this. Good job Joanie.
“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” And it just might win you an Oscar. Take THAT Louis B.!
Nominees: Ingrid Bergman / Greer Garson / Jennifer Jones / Gene Tierney
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OLIVIA de HAVILLAND in “The Heiress”
( 1949 ) Dir: William Wyler
What a towering performance de Havilland gives as the heiress. She portrays what it is to be starved for affection, brow-beaten by her father, and devastatingly disappointed in love. 
The scene where she has her breakdown when Morris ( Montgomery Clift ) does not show up is gut wrenching. Her anguish is visceral. And then transforming into a hardened woman, staring down her father with steel in her eyes; her voice, cold and dead. Even her eyes have died. And dealing with Morris when he does come back
( “He came back with the same lies.” ) She has learned her lesson well: “Yes I can be very cruel. I have been taught, by masters.”
My classic movie pal Christy Putnam left this remark on FB about the movie:
“This film is mesmerizing. Can’t turn it off once it’s started, Montgomery Clift’s Morris Townsend vacillating and how he uses his tentative attention. Haven’t we known gold diggers like this at one time or another in our lives? Morris is one of Clift’s best performances. Miriam Hopkins’ desperation ( as
Lavinia Penniman ) for Catherine and her unspoken fear of Dr. Loper ( Sir Ralph Richardson ) helps to fuel the anxiety. De Havilland grabs us with her plaintive responses and her lack of Hollywood adornment, sinking into the role as if it were an afternoon whim.”
Whether her walking up the stairs was a triumph or self-internment, she’s walking outta there with her second Oscar. “BOLT THE DOOR, MARIA! And bring me my Oscar!!”
[ OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND OSCAR SPEECH ]
Nominees: Susan Hayward / Deborah Kerr / Loretta Young / Jeanne Crain
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ELIZABETH TAYLOR in “BUtterfield 8” ( 1960 )
Dir: Daniel Mann
Yeah, it’s trashy and flashy, but that’s why I love it. I know conventional wisdom says Elizabeth was awarded an Academy Award b’cuz she almost died, but I give her more credit than a tracheotomy. I believed her as the devil~may~care girl with the wild last name. I believed her tempestuousness and vulnerability. I . . . believe . . . her. She didn’t phone it in. Besides, who doesn’t like a tawdry trashy roll in the celluloid. Taylor’s next movie would be “CLEOPATRA.”
[ ELIZABETH TAYLOR OSCAR SPEECH ]
Nominees: Shirley MacLaine / Greer Garson / Deborah Kerr / Melina Mercouri
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
FAYE DUNAWAY in “NETWORK” ( 1976 )
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Dunaway gives the powerhouse performance of her career as a media producer willing to program ANYthing to have a hit tv show. ( And will agree to anything if the rating drop! ) Is my gender bias showing through to think Dunaway plays this as a man might: NAKED AMBITION? Or is this just a 1940’s pinstriped Rosalind Russell on steroids?
Dunaway is kinetic as pure electricity and her ruthlessness was breathtaking. I found her fearless. Bravo! My full review here.
Nominees: Talia Shire / Sissy Spacek / Liv Ullman / Marie-Christine Barrault
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
KATHY BATES in “MISERY” ( 1991 )
Dir: Rob Reiner
As dastardly as she was in this, how did she make me feel sorry for her? It takes some kind of acting that’s all. She was riveting to watch, a combo of childlike innocence mixed with homicidal rage. This was some cocky doody performance Kathy Bates. And I’ve loved ya ever since. ( I like the sound of her voice. )
Nominees: Julia Roberts / Meryl Streep / Angelica Huston / Joanne Woodward
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
JODIE FOSTER in “THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS” ( 1991 )
Dir: Jonathan Demme
We are her and she is . . . her. We watch her go face~to~face with the Evil that men and face it with trepidation but determination. ( No way in Hell would I walk into that house ). I can’t explain why this is a favorite of mine. Good vs Evil? How cheeky to enlist the aid and form a bond with another serial killer. Takes one to catch one I guess. Foster imbues Clarice Sterling with her own laser-beamed honesty and naturalness. This is Jodie Foster’s second Oscar. Her first Academy Award was for her role in—> “The Accused” ( 1980 ) which is as far from Clarice as you can get it.
Nominees: Susan Sarandon / Geena Davis / Bette Midler / Laura Dern
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
FRANCES McDORMAND in “FARGO” ( 1996 )
Dirs: Joel and Ethan Coen
I really only knew her from “BLOOD SIMPLE” and “DARKMAN.“ But seeing her characterization of Marge Gunderson in “Fargo” was fantastic. She was quirky, and diligent. And Frances wasn’t making fun of Marge. Nothing flashy or crazy or actress-y. What an engaging performance. Marge could find Jimmy Hoffa and McDormand is a leading lady character actress.
[ FRANCES McDORMAND OSCAR SPEECH ]
Nominees: Kristin Scott Thomas / Diane Keaton / Emily Watson / Brenda Blethyn
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
2 0 2 1 NOMINEES:
The Eyes of Tammy Faye / Spencer / Being the Ricardos / The Lost Daughter / Parallel Mothers
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Page 3 for BEST ACTOR / Page 2 for BEST ACTRESS
CineMaven's ESSAYS from the COUCH 
Amadeus
The Godfather II
Patton
Lawrence of Arabia
Casablanca
Unforgiven
West Side Story
Rocky
No County for Old Men
The Silence of the Lambs
This is off the top of my head but it is representative of my tastes. I’m with you on the Awards, it was a special day every year, last year and this year it’s just another Sunday.
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Well for something off the top of your head Richard, this is a slew of classics you’ve named here. Nice. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Just another Sunday.
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By the way, a really nice piece. Very thorough.
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Richard, so kind of you to say. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
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I enjoyed and appreciated your reviews on your favorite movie and actors. It is so hard to pare down Academy Award winners to just 10, but you picked some of the best. When I have talked to others about Best Movies and mention ‘The Best Years of Our Lives”, “All the King’s Men”, or “The Heiress”, the reaction is usually, “huh?”.
When I read your review on Gone With the Wind, (definitely my all time favorite), it reminded me of the panel discussion at the 2019 TCMFF, ‘The Complicated Legacy of Gone With the Wind”. It was moderated by Donald Bogle, and included Stephanie Allian, Molly Haskell, and Jacqueline Stewart (who is now one of the TCM hosts). As a white-kid-raised-in-the-burbs, I wanted to hear the discussion. Thinking it would center on the racist aspects of the movie, I was interested to know and understand, but also afraid of what Ms. Allian and Ms. Stewart might say. Donald Bogle asked the women something like ‘ what is their one sentence take away from GWTW’. Both Ms. Allian and Ms. Stewart said something to the affect that Scarlett O’Hara was the first time they had ever seen a strong woman in a movie. And they both said that (can’t remember the exact words), Scarlett and her struggles and her take charge attitude were inspiring. I realized at that moment that was it! I loved GWTW because of Scarlett, of how she did what she had to do to survive. Even though she really isn’t a likable character, one can certainly appreciate her strength and can-do attitude. I also thought how cool it was that it was a strong Scarlett that we all identified with. A great discussion!
(And yes, the love stories are great too, and not just happy endings!)
Thanks again for the great read.
Holly M
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Hi there Molly!!!
Thank you so much for your full-throated response here. I really appreciate it!! You know, I was at the TCMFF the year they had that panel discussion and I avoided it like the plague. I just knew that they would put the movie down ( in a nice scholarly academic way ) and destroy my love for the movie. Boy did I make a big mistake…especially after seeing your comment on how they handled it. ( I know Know…I shouldn’t have been scared anyway because it’s all about learning, right? ) I mean, if you were a white-kid-raised-in-the-burbs, a Black-girl-from-the-projects should’ve been able to take whatever they dished out on “GWTW.”
Let me not be unafraid where movies are concerned.
And I know what you mean by blank stares. But my core friendships are understanding of my love for these old classic and are happy I’m happy…even if they can’t tell the difference between Warren William and Ricardo Cortez.
It was nice talking with you, thank you for reading my Swan Song. It’s not that I’ll totally stop watching the Oscars. But my heart and love won’t be in it.
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I feel your pain, Theresa. If only we could get Bob Hope back to host the Academy Awards – or Billy Crystal, at least. The producers need to stop trying to reinvent the show and simply let it be a celebration of cinema. How hard can that be?
Now, my list of favorite Best Picture winners. Not off the top of my head, but definitely from the bottom of my heart. Without further ado…
Grand Hotel
It Happened One Night
You Can’t Take It with You
Casablanca
The Apartment
In the Heat of the Night
The Godfather
The Deer Hunter
Rain Man
Gladiator
Also, what you wrote about Gone with the Wind made me want to reexamine it – in a way I haven’t done in long while. The neo-Confederate elements will never sit well with me, but the next time I watch Rhett and Scarlett set fire a screen that, through the beauty of technicolor, is already smoldering, I’ll hopefully be able to more fully appreciate this unique love/hate story told in the most epic of ways.
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Hi there Håvard . . .what a great list you have there.Thanks for weighing in and I really hope you give “GWTW” another chance especially on the Rhett and Scarlett tip.
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