Category: Oscar Nominee

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Samson and Delilah (1949)

Not knowing anything but the bare details of the story of Samson, I’m not entirely sure I came away with much more after watching this film. A thoroughly lavish production, it follows Samson using his otherworldly strength in vengeance against the Philistines who stole away his bride. The cast is filled with an array of stars from Victor Mature’s Samson and Hedy Lamarr’s beautiful Delilah to supporting roles by George Sanders and Angela Lansbury. It’s visually stunning with plenty of action of Samson displaying his strength in battles and collapsing of temples. The story isn’t incredibly compelling beyond that action.

Oscar Wins: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Costume Design, Color

Oscar Nominations: Best Cinematography, Color; Best Effects, Special Effects; Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

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Darling Lili (1970)

With a somewhat convoluted story, Julie Andrews tries to shed her pure Mary Poppins image by portraying a German spy during World War I who also engages in the occasional striptease. American pilot Rock Hudson flies in as her target and love interest. The tone of the extravagant production matches the story, jumping from comedy to romance to musical to spy flick, moving from one to the next with little sense of flow.  Musical

Oscar Nominations: Best Costume Design; Best Music, Original Song; Best Music, Original Song Score

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The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Everyone hates film producer Kirk Douglas, but they also all want to make movies with him. Creatively told almost completely in flashbacks, Lana Turner, Dick Powell, and Barry Sullivan are gathered together by Walter Pidgeon to explain the very good reasons why they all hate Douglas. The story is an intriguing examination of how movies are made and the people who make them.

Oscar Wins: Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Screenplay; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White; Best Costume Design, Black-and-White

Oscar Nomination: Best Actor in a Leading Role

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Papa’s Delicate Condition (1963)

Almost entirely a showcase for the charming Jackie Gleason, this film, based on a memoir by silent film star Corinne Griffith, tells the tale of an early 19th century family who is exasperated by the delicate condition of their patriarch, that is the irresponsible acts he performs while intoxicated. Those acts include indulging every whim of his adoring six-year-old daughter. Glynis Johns plays his long suffering wife though the whole affair remains fairly light and gay.

Oscar Win: Best Music, Original Song

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The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

As a light, but exceptionally long, rendering of the well-known story of the Frank family and their companions hiding from the Nazis, this film is adequate. It gives a good view of the crampedness of the quarters they shared and some of the harrowing events that occurred while they were there. But it is told in a relatively breezy way. Aside from going through the motions to keep from being found, there’s not as much of a sense of both the danger and tedium that had to exist for such a long period of time together. Millie Perkins is not particularly believable as a young teenager, a bit too cute and precious. On the other hand, Joseph Schildkraut as Otto Frank and Shelley Winters as Petronella Van Dam bring real emotion to their roles, the former as a father trying to keep everyone safe and the latter trying to hold on to life as she once knew it.   Best Picture Nomination

Oscar Wins: Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Director; Best Costume Design, Black-and-White; Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

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The Great Santini (1979)

Seeing the DVD cover for this film, I wrongfully assumed it was a war, or at least military focused movie. Instead it is the story of an asshole father who would rather flying planes than treat his family, especially his oldest son, with any kindness. There is also a shoehorned in story of the son’s black friend being harassed by racist rednecks, as if the main story didn’t have enough weight to hold a film by itself. Despite my dislike for the story itself, the cast particularly Robert Duvall and Michael O’Keefe as the father and son respectively work wonders with the material. Even though Julie Anne Haddock was little utilized as the younger daughter, I also have a soft spot for the season 1 Facts of Life cast.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actor in a Supporting Role

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No Man’s Land (2001)

During the Bosnian War, men from both sides of the fight find themselves trapped together in a trench between battle lines. The UN is impotent to help, as mere observers to the war going around among them. There are a number of light moments in this satire, but it would be a disservice not to offer the spoiler that the ending is as bleak as it can be. War is futile.

Oscar Win: Best Foreign Language Film

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Auntie Mame (1958)

It’s hard to talk about Auntie Mame without comparing it to the musical Mame, particularly the Lucille Ball 1974 movie version. Both stories follow the adventures of Mame Dennis, a single middle aged woman who is suddenly granted the guardianship of her orphaned nephew. After seeing the musical, I expect the character to possess a lot more zaniness than Rosalind Russell brings to the role. The supporting cast also didn’t bring as much to the plate. What does bring a beautiful wackiness to the production is the constant changes over the years in Mame’s apartment and costuming.   Best Picture Nomination

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actress in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Cinematography, Color; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White or Color; Best Film Editing

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Blithe Spirit (1945)

As a lesson to not mess with the supernatural, Blithe Spirit features Rex Harrison as a British author who realizing he needs more material for his next book hires a medium to perform a séance in his home. Unfortunately the séance is too successful and brings forth his dead former wife to haunt him. Despite an unfortunate makeup choice where the ghost looks like the Wicked Witch of the West, the film is witty and amusing, culminating in an end where everyone receives their just desserts.

Oscar Win: Best Effects, Special Effects

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The Americanization of Emily (1964)

James Garner is an extremely charming American dog robber working for a mentally unstable admiral, played by Melvyn Douglas, in World War II London. Julie Andrews is a semi-hardened driver for the military’s motor pool, who has seen too much death in the war already, but is still fascinated by Garner. It is an entertaining oddity to see a World War II film whose main character is an antiwar soldier and whose cowardice is what most attracts the woman who falls in love with him. There is a lot that is told with laughs and absurdity, but it never forgets the seriousness of war.

Oscar Nominations: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White

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