Actor Round-up: 1938

5. SPENCER TRACY AS FATHER FLANAGAN IN BOYS TOWN


Spencer Tracy sits atop all other actors alongside Laurence Olivier with the most Best Actor nominations. But after having sat through a third of his nominated turns, I've yet to see any substantial talent to warrant such an amazing record. Here, it's the same thing a third consecutive year in a row: he is a warm, stoic paternal figure who uses his good to balance out any bad that comes along. He smiles, he worries, he gives fatherly speeches...but what else? Nothing really. Terribly basic, terribly uninspiring. I can only hope that the next 2/3 of his nominations will redeem him.

4. CHARLES BOYER AS PEPE IN ALGIERS

That exotic Boyer charm is there, but sadly there isn't much else. Something is lacking here...something doesn't feel right. Perhaps it's because I was so impressed by Jean Gabin in the original French version that there was no chance an Americanized version would do it justice. Ultimately there's not much depth or turmoil to Boyer's creation, which really just becomes a blander, watered down copy of a more vivid original, but isn't that usually the case with remakes?

3. JAMES CAGNEY AS ROCKY IN ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES

Rough around the edges and fast-talking, Rocky Sullivan is as destructive as he is charming and fascinating. When I think of criminals back in the 1930's it's Cagney's strange features and deviant smoothness that come to mind. While I wasn't as enthralled by him as other reviewers on the internet seemed to be, Cagney turns in a perfectly entertaining and sometimes powerful piece of work.

2. LESLIE HOWARD AS HIGGINS IN PYGMALION

One of the bigger surprises to come out of this year's batch of nominees, Leslie Howard is remarkably delightful. In addition to acting in Pygmalion he also lent some directing efforts, so it's clear that this was an important project to Howard and one can see how at ease he was and how much fun he was having playing Professor Higgins. Quirky and childish and stubborn and bitchy, he's certainly one of the most vivid and bewitching male characters of this year.

1. ROBERT DONAT AS DR. MANSON IN THE CITADEL

No one was more surprised by this than myself. I had expected another cheesy flick with another try-hard Louis Pasteur-esque performance, and what I got instead was a very engaging character study by an actor whose efforts I could only describe as sublime. Robert Donat gauges this character so masterfully, and every impassioned monologue, every quip, every moment of concern feels realized. I rewound some of his scenes and watched them over a couple times, because I was that taken by him. A terribly unexpected surprise, this performance is probably one of my most favorite discoveries as I've sailed through the 1930's.

IN CONCLUSION: a pretty solid year, with some gems and some clunkers. I don't want to sound too bitter about it but Spencer Tracy had no business being on the Best Actor shortlist, and interestingly enough this is the second year in a row Cary Grant was snubbed, this time for his wonderful work in Bringing Up Baby (I'd quickly swap out both Tracy nods for Grant). And because the times were weird, Pépé le Moko was released in France in '37 but wasn't released in the U.S. until '41, but Grand Illusion was, so I would certainly nominated Jean Gabin for the latter. Otherwise, I am happy with '38, with my top two being the two I was least concerned about going in.