Alternate Oscars: 1955 Edition
Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 4:00PM 
Ever since I started following the Oscars, I've liked to come up with dream ballots. Indeed, it's become something of a hobby to write down such ideal Academy Awards, whether following eligibility rules or not. Lately, through Letterboxd and the influence of an Excel-addicted friend, those lists have graduated from notebooks to an array of overcomplicated multicolored spreadsheets with which I horrify whoever is unlucky enough to see them. All this to say that, when Gabe Guarin asked me to be part of his Alternate Oscars podcast, I was ecstatic. At long last, I've found an opportunity to make good use of those spreadsheets!
On the latest episode of Alternate Oscars, Gabe and I discuss 1955 and come up with our ideal ballots in a podcast awards ceremony full of cinephile gushing and Kenji Mizoguchi-love. Take a listen:
What do you think of our choices? Share your choices, too.
1955, Kenji Mizoguchi, Oscars (50s), Podcast
Reader Comments (9)
Interesting discussion and I've always been a fan of the alternate Oscar idea. I agree with most of what was chosen except perhaps Rebel Without a Cause, a good but not great picture which I think is overly venerated.
I only did the acting, directing and picture categories but my lineups would run this way.
Picture:
All That Heaven Allows
Bad Day at Black Rock
Diabolique
East of Eden-Winner
Night of the Hunter
Director:
Henri-Georges Clozot-Diabolique
Elia Kazan-East of Eden
Charles Laughton-Night of the Hunter-Winner
Douglas Sirk-All That Heaven Allows
John Sturges-Bad Day at Black Rock
Actor:
James Cagney-Love Me or Leave Me
James Dean-East of Eden-Winner
Henry Fonda-Mister Roberts
Robert Mitchum-Night of the Hunter
Spencer Tracy-Black Day at Black Rock
Actress:
Vera Clouzot-Diabolique
Doris Day-Love Me or Leave Me
Susan Hayward-I'll Cry Tomorrow-Winner
Vivien Leigh-The Deep Blue Sea
Anna Magnani-The Rose Tattoo
Supporting Actor:
Jack Lemmon-Mister Roberts-Winner
Raymond Massey-East of Eden
Sal Mineo-Rebel Without a Cause
Robert Ryan-Bad Day at Black Rock
Peter Ustinov-We're No Angels
Supporting Actress:
Lillian Gish-Night of the Hunter
Julie Harris-East of Eden
Rosalind Russell-Picnic-Winner
Simone Signoret-Diabolique
Jo Van Fleet-I'll Cry Tomorrow
Lots of great choices and I agree with almost all. The one notable exception is Rosalind Russell for Picnic. As I frequently find with her dramatic performances, she hammers it home. I wish she could have employed some of the subtlety she so expertly uses in her comedic performances.
Although she has far less to do, I really like Verna Felton as the neighbour. Her performance feels lived in and wise.
joel6 -- I'll add WE'RE NO ANGELS and the Leigh-led THE DEEP BLUE SEA to my watchlist. Thank you for sharing your ballot :)
GTA James -- I'm also not a fan of Russell in PICNIC, though I think the performance gets better in the picture's second half.
For me non-English movies were better in 1955 :
Picture
1.Diabolique
2.Ugetsu
3.Rififi
4.Ordet
5.East of Eden
6.Rebel without a cause
7.The night of the hunter
8.Bad day at Black rock
9.Ensayo de un crimen
10.Floating clouds
Actor:
1.Toshiro Mifune (I live in fear)
2.Frank Sinatra (The man with the golden arm)
3.James Dean (East of Eden/Rebel without a cause)
4.Ernest Borgnine (Marty)
5.Robert Mitchum (The night of the hunter)
Actress:
1.Anna Magnani (The rose tattoo)
2.Melina Mercouri (Stella)
3.Katharine Hepburn (Summertime)
4.Jane Wyman (All that heaven allows)
5.Maria Schell (The rats)
Supporting actor:
1.Sal Mineo (Rebel without a cause)
2.Paul Meurisse (Diabolique)
3.Jack Lemmon (Mister Roberts)
4.Robert Ryan (Bad day at Black Rock)
5.Arthur Kennedy (Trial)
Supporting actress:
1.Jo Van Fleet (East of Eden)
2.Simone Signoret (Diabolique)
3.Machiko Kyo (Ugetsu)
4.Natalie Wood (Rebel without a cause)
5.Rosalind Russell (Picnic)
Bad news for some of you, but Diabolique wasn't eligible until 1956 and Rififi not until 1957. Elgibility lists can be found at the invaluable ATOGT (And the Oscar Goes To ...) website.
Amy Camus -- You are right, and that's why Diabolique doesn't feature in my dream ballot for 1955.
Btw, you can also find each year's eligibility list on my letterboxd profile, from 1927 to 2021. I uploaded all of them last year to keep track of what I'd seen from every Oscar season.
Dont know if they would be elligible, but so many great movies from all over the world
„ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS“ (USA)
„LE AMICHE“ (Italy)
„AMICI PER LA PELLE“ (Italy)
„IL BIDONE“ (Italy)
„CHIBUSA YO EIEN NARE“ (Japan)
„CONFIDENTIAL REPORT“ (USA)
„LES DIABOLIQUES“ (France)
„DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES“ (France)
„ENSAYO DE UN CRIMEN“ (Mexico)
„FRENCH CAN CAN“ (France)
„LES GRANDES MANOEUVRES“ (France)
„KISS ME DEADLY“ (USA)
„KOKORO“ (Japan)
„LOLA MONTÈS“ (France)
„THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM“ (USA)
„MEOTO ZENZAI“ (Japan)
„MOONFLEET“ (Great Britain)
„MUERTE DE UN CICLISTA“ (Spain)
„THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER“ (USA)
„ORDET“ (Denmark)
„PATHER PANCHALI“ (India)
„THE PHENIX CITY STORY“ (USA)
„PICNIC“ (USA)
„LA POINTE-COURTE“ (France)
„POPRYGUNJA” (UdSSR)
„SHIN HEIKE MONOGATARI“ (Japan)
„STELLA“ (Grece)
„SOMMARNATTENS LEENDE“ (Sweden)
„SUMMERTIME“ (Great Britain)
„TAKEKURABE“ (Japan)
„UKIGUMO“ (Japan)
„WICHITA“ (USA)
„YOKIHI“ (Japan)
„ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS“ (USA)
„LE AMICHE“ (Italy)
„AMICI PER LA PELLE“ (Italy)
„IL BIDONE“ (Italy)
„CHIBUSA YO EIEN NARE“ (Japan)
„CONFIDENTIAL REPORT“ (USA)
„LES DIABOLIQUES“ (France)
„DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES“ (France)
„ENSAYO DE UN CRIMEN“ (Mexico)
„FRENCH CAN CAN“ (France)
„LES GRANDES MANOEUVRES“ (France)
„KISS ME DEADLY“ (USA)
„KOKORO“ (Japan)
„LOLA MONTÈS“ (France)
„THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM“ (USA)
„MEOTO ZENZAI“ (Japan)
„MOONFLEET“ (Great Britain)
„MUERTE DE UN CICLISTA“ (Spain)
„THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER“ (USA)
„ORDET“ (Denmark)
„PATHER PANCHALI“ (India)
„THE PHENIX CITY STORY“ (USA)
„PICNIC“ (USA)
„LA POINTE-COURTE“ (France)
„POPRYGUNJA” (UdSSR)
„SHIN HEIKE MONOGATARI“ (Japan)
„STELLA“ (Grece)
„SOMMARNATTENS LEENDE“ (Sweden)
„SUMMERTIME“ (Great Britain)
„TAKEKURABE“ (Japan)
„UKIGUMO“ (Japan)
„WICHITA“ (USA)
„YOKIHI“ (Japan)
Okay I'll share my ballot but 1955 is one of my weak years and i haven't seen a ton of these for so long that memory is foggy (i still need to see a lot). Using Oscar's eligibility list I would go something like so thus far (BUT I HAVE A LOT LEFT TO SEE)
PICTURE
All that Heaven Allows
East of Eden
Night of the Hunter
Rebel Without a Cause WINNER
To Catch a Thief
DIRECTOR
Hitchcock, To Catch a Thief
Laughton, Night of the Hunter WINNER
Lean, Summertime
Ray, Rebel Without a Cause
Sirk, All That Heaven Allows
ACTRESS
Bergman, Journey to Italy
Hayward, I'll Cry Tomorrow
Hepburn, Summertime WINNER
Magnani, Rose Tattoo
Wyman, All That Heaven Allows
ACTOR
Borgnine, Marty
Dean, East of Eden
Ewell, The Seven Year Itch
Hudson, All That Heaven Allows
Mitchum, Night of the Hunter. WINNER
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Gish, Night of the Hunter WINNER
Harris, East of Eden
Russell, Picnic
Van Fleet, East of Eden
Wood, Rebel Without a Cause
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Damone, Kismet
Kaye, Guys and Dolls
Mineo, Rebel Without a Cause WINNER
O'Connell, Picnic
???
the ones I most need to see from this year still: Bad Day at Black Rock, Blackboard Jungle, Deep Blue Sea , End of the Affair, Interrupted Melody, Love Me or Leave Me, Man with the Golden Arm, Mister Roberts, Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, My Sister Eilieen, Queen Bee, Ugetsu, Untamed, Wages of Fear