Actress Round-up: 1934

4. GRACE MOORE AS MARY IN ONE NIGHT OF LOVE

Kudos must be given to a Hollywood era open enough to hand an opera singer a lead role in one of their feature films. But Grace Moore isn't much of a film actor, and it shows very vividly when you watch the films of Norma Shearer, Bette Davis, and Claudette Colbert after hers. She's far from a Mary-Pickford-in-Coquette-level disaster but a lot of times it looks like she's trying her best to "act" and emote...to no avail whatsoever. Just stale and empty glances. But at least she's charming and has a great voice?

3. NORMA SHEARER AS ELIZABETH IN THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET

I think I may have been harder on Norma than I should have been initially. It doesn't feel right to give her the same marks as I did Grace Moore, who's obviously a much less talented actress than Shearer is. But there's just something about Shearer that I find so...monotonous. Watching her in The Barretts of Wimpole Street, I felt like I'd already seen it all before (see: The Divorcee, Their Own Desire). I really loved her in A Free Soul, but that may be because she had to summon some pretty complicated emotions to play Jan Ashe. Elizabeth Barrett came off as all-too-familiar, neither challenging Norma's acting prowess or challenging me as an indifferent viewer.

2. BETTE DAVIS AS MILDRED IN OF HUMAN BONDAGE

"It seemed inevitable that I would receive the coveted award. The press, the public, and the members of the Academy who did the voting were sure I would win! Surer than I!" Unfortunately, I must agree with the outcome. The more I think about it, the more appalled I am over Davis' terribly exaggerated and obnoxious cockney accent. The whole thing would be a bust if she wasn't so enthralling on the screen as Mildred. There are points in the film in which she's far superior to any of the other nominees in her category. Ultimately, I think her overall performance is less consistent than my winner, but it's still an exciting debut nonetheless.

1. CLAUDETTE COLBERT AS ELLIE IN IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

Claudette Colbert's Ellie Andrews is crafted with the sharp comedic wit of a sassy heroine, the childishness and naivete of a sheltered socialite in the 1%, the lively spirit of a rebel, and the profound drama of one's first love and heartbreak. Ellie starts out as a girl who, now over 21, thinks of herself as an adult. She's terribly mistaken of course, and her journey with Clark Gable's Peter Warne all the way through the end not only infuses excitement into her drab life of opulence but also allows her to grow up. We are witness to all of this, and Colbert absolutely magnificent.

IN CONCLUSION: I'd say that 1934 was an average year. This batch of ladies include two that I normally wouldn't nominate and one whose work is solid but flawed. As much as I enjoyed Colbert, her five score is a low-one, and I don't believe I'd rank it in my top ten of all time or anything. That said, there's another lady who came close to a nomination whom I'll be reviewing in the coming days. Further, I've read good things about Claudette Colbert's performances in Imitation of Life and Cleopatra (I must admit I started Cleopatra but lost the motivation to continue after about ten minutes), and Loretta Young was in two Best Picture nominees (The White Parade and The House of Rothschild) so one wonders if she ever had a chance at a nom. OK. 1935, here we go!