Introducing... The Supporting Actresses of 1948
Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 12:00PM It's your last day to vote on the Smackdown! Send in those ballots
Since your collective interest in pre '70s film years is often less robust, consider this an attempt to pump up your excitement levels with a teaser for this weekend's Smackdown. How are our contestants introduced in their movies, how soon, and is it clear from scene one that they'll be Oscar-nominated?
We'll take them in the order in which they appear in their movies, starting with "The End." Wait, what? Oh never fear it's just an ol' hoary framing device for our first contender, who's just finished writing the stories we're about to see unfold onscreen at the very beginning of her movie.
A novel by Katrin Hanson..."
..."Katrin" (Barbara Bel Geddes). I Remember Mama, immediately post-credits
What do we learn from her first scene: That she's a writer with fond feelings for her Mama who has just finished a novel. She stretches and begins to read it aloud and we know that she'll be narrating the whole movie which will surely end as it began (ding! ding! ding!) and that she's the protagonist despite her "Supporting" designation via Oscar. That's how they do with young actors,' don'cha know. Will we learn anything more about her in the full movie?
Give him a drink."
..."Gaye Dawn" (Claire Trevor). 3½ minutes into Key Largo
Key Largo clocks in at a very economic 100 minutes and not one of them is wasted. Within the first 5 or 10 minutes we've either met all the characters or have heard enough about them to know that they're on the way. We first see Gaye in long shot as Bogie enters a bar and asks for a drink. Check out that body language, half off her stool for support lest she fall over - you can already tell she's three sheets to the wind before you even hear her voice or see her face and your immediately curious about her though we don't learn much about her in this first scene. The men aren't exactly welcoming to Bogie, telling him that the hotel and bar are closed and he should take a hike (even though they're all staying there with drinks in hand) but Gaye wants company... "GIVE HIM A DRINK!" she repeats, annoyed.
Is the doctor in?
..."Aggie McDonald" (Agnes Moorehead). 8 minutes into Johnny Belinda
We haven't seen anything in the way of plot yet so when Agnes Moorehead appears at a Nova Scotian doctor's door, we hope that's what she's bringing with her. She's very chatty and insistent and it turns out that the sick patient she's worried about is a cow. This doctor is not a veterinarian but he takes off with her anyway to help -is that legal? Of all of these nominees she's the character we learn the very least about (approximately nothing) in her first scene. But then she is Agnes Moorehead so Oscar voters were already paying attention with this first shot.
..."Aunt Trina" (Ellen Corby). 9½ minutes into I Remember Mama.
Her entrance to the picture is when she rushes up the steps of the family home at night (we've been inside this whole time). As she enters it's clear she's very nervous, she is usually with her sisters (other aunts are mentioned) and that she's come privately. Is that a new feather boa? What is going on with Aunt Trina? Marta aka that memorable Mama (Irene Dunne) takes her out to the porch to grill her in private. It's very clear she's a key character to watch since she gets her own introductory scene, and only one other character "Uncle Chris" gets one (he also got nominated); the rest of the extended family are introduced in bundles.
..."Ophelia" (Jean Simmons) 20 minutes into Hamlet
She sits serenely by a window. Her brother Laertes is about to hit the road and he notices she is clutching a letter. We instantly realize that Ophelia is smitten and that it's Hamlet as pen pal (even though he literally lives just down the hall). Her brother warns her, no tee no shade, don't "open your chaste treasure" for a prince who might well be a player. Plus he can't even make his own plays - that's for the King & Queen to decide! Ophelia, promises to heed the advice but she isn't as dumbly mute or swoony as she first appears and has a head on her shoulders. She calls hims out:
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, show me the steep and thorny way to heaven whilst like a puffed and reckless libertine himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, and minds not his own creed.
Ophelia can't with your hypocrisy, Good Bro!
Also Laertes looks like this...
So there's probably lots of chaste treasure he's eager to open back in France. He packed his bags real quick between scenes.
P.S. Ophelia & Laertes have read the cliffnotes about Hamlet's incest obsession
Reader Comments (8)
Just voted! Trevor still wins in my book.
Aw, you seem harsh towards I Remember Mama. I love that movie for all the warm fuzzies it gives, even if it is treacle. The only film of these I haven't seen in Johnny Belinda, actually, although I've never watched Key Largo specifically for Claire Trevor, and whenever I see that she won the Oscar, my response is always, "Wait. Who was she? There was another woman besides Lauren Bacall?" Which is unfair, because she's really really good.
Of the introductions my favourite is Trevor's because it really defines the character throughout the entire film and for me the opening scene of Trevor is her best scene in the entire film. However my favourite performance is by Simmons who if you can believe it was only 17 when filming this film and her power is something I would never expect from an actress of that age when your playing against an actor like Olivier who at the time was twice her age and she is just as captivating as he was.
Lovely. I got to say that now I pay more attention to this aspect.
Your take on Jean Simmons is a fun one, and it makes me wonder even more now which performance will be your favorite, Nathaniel.
seems like it is shaping up to be an interesting smackdown. Looking forward to reading everyone's opinions!
IMO, Simmons' Ophelia is the most memorable among the many versions played by famous actresses. Its a pity she din win (thot she did win Best Actress at Venice).
I guess the voters felt that she's too young (19) & that Hamlet had already swept the top awards (Best Pic & Best Actor, etc) & they wanna spread the Oscar gold a bit & so they gave it to a veteran...in all due respect, Trevor is quite a smash in tt role, but imo not as memorable as Simmons
My vote wld be Simmons, runner-up: Bel Geddes, who won the Golden Globes in same cat
Corby, BelGeddes, Trevor, Moorehead, Simmons.