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Alice Brady 1892 – 1939
If you want to remove the “bad” part of coffee, you DeCaffeinate
If you want to remove the offending aroma from a room, you DeOdorize
And if you want to give the award issued by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a more deserving recipient, you must DeOscarize the current holder….
Gale Sondergaard – Best Actress 1936 – Anthony Adverse
Gale Sondergaard
DeOscarized
One shouldn’t mistake the importance of a character for one’s impact on a film. That is my argument to DeOscarize Gale Sondergaard for Best Supporting Actress 1936; the first year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences established the Best Supporting Category in its awards. Her striking appearance of exotic beauty had a great impact on audiences, I’m sure, in what was her screen debut. Also, the role she played as the larcenous housekeeper was pivotal to the story of Anthony Adverse. What I don’t understand is how could the members of the Academy consider Gale Sondergaard when they had the timeless comedic performance of Alice Brady in My Man Godfrey before them? The film and the entire cast of My Man Godfrey got cheated by the members of the Academy in 1936. Mischa Auer is the exception to that statement as the one who got cheated out of an Academy Award. That distinction goes to an actor who wasn’t even nominated that year but should have been for his supporting performance in The Petrified Forest. Of course I’m speaking of Humphrey Bogart. I have already DeOscarized one actor for his sake to give him his proper due for Casablanca. So, I’m reluctant to do it again, so soon. It feels good to play god in my imaginary universe where I correct all the mistakes and injustices inflicted by the members of the Academy over the years, for either spite or stupidity. I have such a sense of power, if not entitlement. At any rate Alice Brady’s performance is far and above the role Gale Sondergaard played. Sondergaard is in the film for very brief, albeit pivotal moments. Also, I am reluctant to DeOscarize any artist made a victim of the “Red Scare” during the McCarthy era; a particularly ugly time in the film community. Meanwhile in My Man Godfrey, a more pleasant topic, Alice Brady appears throughout the film, not just at pivotal moments but all the comedic moments in the film rely on her performance and she performs those moments, brilliantly. It’s too bad her life was cut short by cancer for she gave great supporting performances in Young Mr. Lincoln and In Old Chicago,too but her piece de resistance was certainly in My Man Godfrey. Here are the other official nominees for that category’s very first year.
Best Supporting Actress Nominees 1936
Gale Sondergaard – WINNER Best Supporting Actress – Anthony Adverse as Faith Paleologus
Gale Sondergaard – WINNER Best Supporting Actress
Anthony Adverse
Beulah Bondi – The Gorgeous Hussy as Rachel Jackson
Beulah Bondi as Rachel Jackson
The Gorgeous Hussy
Alice Brady – My Man Godfrey as Angelica Bullock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMAdQFN1nOQ
Alice Brady as Angelica Bullock
My Man Godfrey
Bonita Granville – These Three as Mary Tilford
Bonita Granville as Mary Tilford
These Three
Maria Ouspenskaya – Dodsworth as Baroness Von Obersdorf
Maria Ouspenskaya as Baroness Von Obersdorf Dodsworth
Frankly, I’m not very impressed with all the nominees for 1936, especially when one considers those actresses who were …
Snubbed by the Academy in 1936
Myrna Loy – The Great Ziegfeld as Billie Burke
Myrna Loy as Billie Burke The Great Ziegfeld
Elsa Lanchester – Rembrandt as Hendrickje Stoffels
Elsa Lanchester as Hendrickje Stoffels
Rembrandt
Until someone gives me a compelling reason against this decision, DeOscarize names:
Alice Brady – WINNER NEW Best Supporting Actress 1936 – My Man Godfrey
Alice Brady – WINNER NEW Best Supporting Actress 1936 My Man Godfrey
As some bright classic film buff has no doubt already surmised, Alice Brady was received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress 1937 for In Old Chicago, a lesser film than My Man Godfrey and a lesser role. As is often the case as we will discover throughout the years of nominees and awards, many is the time someone gets an award this year for an award they should have received last year. Which begs the question, who should have received Best Supporting Actress for 1937 for the performance that year? Something to ponder DeOscarize-wise for the future.
Of course I can see where folks might think I’m wrong. I believe I made my case to DeOscarize Gale Sondergaard. Can you make the case to prevent it? Is there someone else you would DeOscarize Gale Sondergaard for? Let’s discuss it.
Pick a year! Pick a category! Pick a Nominee!
LET JUSTICE PREVAIL!
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Copyright © 2014 Thomas O’Neill
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