Irene Dunne, I Remember Mama

as MARTA "MAMA" HANSON

What is I Remember Mama really but another footnote in the deep vault of sentimental trite that was 1940's Hollywood? For over 2 hours we are witness to random vignettes of the lives of the Hanson family, rather hastily strung together for no incisive reason at all. And the acting? We've got an ooey gooey and oh-so-sleepy performance from Barbara Bel Geddes, Oscar Homolka in one of the most criminally overracted performances of the decade, and Ms. Irene Dunne, scooping up what would be the last nomination of her career.

Irene Dunne, Love Affair

as TERRY MCKAY

Love Affair is said to be Irene Dunne's favorite film. I found out this factoid after having watched it, and I'm rather perplexed as to why she liked it so much. Perhaps it's because the movie itself is sweet like a Hershey's kiss, but I personally found it to be a very ordinary and often times boring romantic drama. Love Affair is not nearly as memorable as The Awful Truth or even Cimarron for that matter (though the latter is memorable for all the wrong reasons). Many consider that it's not even the most memorable adaptation of its own story (re: An Affair to Remember). Performance wise, while there were parts of Dunne's performance to appreciate, I can't say that I was enthralled by her.

Irene Dunne, The Awful Truth

as LUCY WARRINER

1937's batch of Best Actress contenders have proven to be tougher for me to evaluate than in other years. Grading Barbara Stanwyck's work in Stella Dallas was confusing in that I initially didn't know what to make of her hamminess. Luise Rainer's performance in The Good Earth was personally divisive given all the racial baggage that comes with the picture. And finally, along comes The Awful Truth, a light and silly comedy which provides some much needed, good 'ol fashioned amusement to balance out the somber deaths and sacrifices seen in the films of the other nominees. Irene Dunne's work in The Awful Truth was kind of difficult for me to analyze initially, because it's such a stark contrast from the scenes of sobbing and pain that I was forced to endure from the other ladies. In fact, it would seem as if Dunne's not putting in as much effort as everybody else, but with a closer look I realized it's easy to miss out on the little details that make her performance so effortlessly delightful.

Irene Dunne, Theodora Goes Wild

as THEODORA LYNN/CAROLINE ADAMS

I've had some strange reactions to the performances of 1936 thus far. First, I ended up liking Luise Rainer in The Great Ziegfeld as well as Norma Shearer in Romeo and Juliet a lot more than I was initially expecting to. Then, contrary to much of the internet, I ended up not liking Walter Huston in Dodsworth all that much. And then came along Theodora Goes Wild, a film I expected to like instantly based off of the fact that it's about a lady who under a pseudonym publishes a naughty book which pisses off the conservative folks in her small town. On top of that, our heroine transforms from a proper girl to a scandalous woman with a bad reputation, and that really ought to have just sealed the deal with me. But for some reason, I had a hard time sitting through the film. It bored me. And much like with Walter Huston, I wasn't sure what to make of Irene Dunne.

Irene Dunne, Cimarron

as SABRA CRAVAT

So here it is, my first solo Best Actress post on this blog! In retrospect after having watched Cimarron, I wonder what factors played into Dunne getting her first nomination. Was it because she played a devoted wife? (Academy's favorite...there've been quite a few thus far.) Did she get in because she got swept up in the Cimarron craze of that year? (it was the first film to get more than 6 nominations, and the first to get all of the major 5 nods.) Was it because people were impressed by the aging makeup for her character's older years? (i.e. Meryl Streep, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, etc.) It's not a shocking nomination by any means--there have been worse performances nominated--but it's certainly not an extraordinary one, and I'd even say it's not really a great one either.