Actor Round-up: 1936

Gary Cooper, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

as LONGFELLOW DEEDS

It is said that Gary Cooper was Frank Capra's "first, last and only choice" for the role of Mr. Deeds. I've been trying to figure out why that was, because my perception of Gary Cooper has always been that of a solemn and detached actor. So his casting as an eccentric and gentle man struck me as very strange, because surely there were naturally quirkier alternatives who'd have been more fitting for the role. But I can't fault Capra for knowing what he wanted, and so with that we have Cooper in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, a somewhat interesting yet not very gratifying performance in a somewhat interesting yet not very gratifying film.

William Powell, My Man Godfrey

as GODFREY SMITH

William Powell has a charisma to him that I think few actors have. Aside from his handsome looks, there's an almost palpable intelligence to the way he presents himself onscreen. The way in which he speaks and reacts to other people has a confident smoothness that really makes you feel at ease with the characters he plays. Whether he's flirting with danger as Nick Charles or wooing us as Florenz Ziegfeld or butling in disguise as Godfrey, my interest in Powell is always consistently high. He's got a great mastery of his movie star powers, that even if he's not exactly wowing me with one of his performances, he can still hold my attention on the sheer basis of his charisma.

Spencer Tracy, San Francisco

as FATHER TIM MULLIN

Sometimes AMPAs makes baffling choices, and one can't help but sit and ponder about what exactly was going on in the collective minds of these damn voters. Supporting Actor awards were introduced for the first time in 1936, allowing new opportunities to recognize more performances in the vein of Frank Morgan in The Affairs of Cellini and (as some feel) Franchot Tone in Mutiny on the Bounty. Yet in spite of this, the AMPAs voters decided to give nominations that year to Basil Rathbone in Romeo & Juliet and Maria Ouspenskaya in Dodsworth instead, both of whom gave performances amounting to about 5 minutes of screen time. It's as if the voters were confused about the concept of "supporting", so much so that they all just jotted down some cameos instead. To top things off, the same voters awarded a Best Actress performance that was 30-ish minutes in a three hour film and gave Spencer Tracy his first Best Actor nomination for a 15-ish minute performance in San Francisco. Oscar works in twisted ways.

Walter Huston, Dodsworth

as SAM DODSWORTH

Won: New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actor

Dodsworth is an interesting film. With a screenplay originating from the 1934 Broadway play, which itself was adapted from the Sinclair Lewis novel, the feature as a whole always felt more like that of a filmed play rather than a purely cinematic story. I have conflicted feelings towards the film--while my interested was generally piqued while watching Dodsworth, I was never fully engaged or consumed. Some of these conflicted feelings go towards star Walter Huston as well, who had previously originated the role of Dodsworth on stage. There's no trace of that stagey acting in his film adaptation--and while I liked Huston's work in the film, there was still something left to be desired here for me.

Paul Muni, The Story of Louis Pasteur

as LOUIS PASTEUR

Won: Academy Award - Best Actor | Venice Film Festival - Best Actor

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess. Oscar has always been fascinated by "important" pictures, even more so if it feels important and is about a real person. No other studio made better films of this niche back in the 1930's than Warner Bros., and it seems no other actor was good enough for these vehicles than Paul Muni. After having tackled real-life stories about chain gang injustice and coal miner unions, in 1936 Warner Bros. and Muni set off into the annals of history to tackle...microbiology. The Story of Louis Pasteur is about the man who discovered the cures for anthrax and rabies, so if you're expecting intrigue and excitement, look elsewhere. And while Muni's performance here wasn't as bad as his horrid turn in Black Fury, it's also really nothing to write home about.